Oct. 3 (UPI) — The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration will begin taking new applications for flight controllers Oct. 11 as it works to reverse a decades-long decline in its workforce.
Wednesday the FAA announced agreements with Tulsa Community College and the University of Oklahoma, the first two schools in the new Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative.
It will allow new air traffic controllers to skip the FAA’s training academy, but the FAA said ther new program will provide the same curriculum and advanced technology offered at the FAA Air Traffic Controller Academy at Oklahoma City.
“The FAA is working to hire and train more air traffic controllers, in order to reverse the decades-long decline in our workforce and ensure the safety of the flying public,” said FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker in a statement. ” The Enhanced AT-CTI program is an important part of that effort.”
Graduates of the new program can go straight into FAA facilities for training.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the FAA’s efforts have recently increased the number of controllers and stopped the decline.
“If you look at just a chart over the last 30 years or so, the number of air traffic controllers has gone down and down and down, until recently where we finally got that number going up,” Buttigieg said. “We’re requesting a budget from Congress to let us hire 2,000 next year so that you don’t have as much of this concern about controllers being overworked.”
The FAA said Enhanced AT-CTI graduates will still need to pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment exam and meet medical and security requirements.
In 2024 the FAA hired over 1,800 controllers. In 2023 1,500 controllers were hired.
The FAA said it will continue aggressive steps to bolster its air controller workforce.
The United States has a shortage of air traffic controllers and several airports, especially on the East Coast, and that has caused regular flight disruptions.
