Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday announced a plan that the Trump administration says will "supercharge" hiring of air traffic controllers.
The move followed a visit by Duffy to the FAA controller training facility in Oklahoma City and came in the wake of recent commercial airline crashes that have raised questions about the safety of the U.S. aviation system while focusing attention on an ongoing nationwide shortage of controllers.
FAA figures released in late 2023 showed a shortage of approximately 4,000 fully certified controllers at facilities across the country.
Increased starting pay, reduced time to hire
Speaking in Oklahoma City, Duffy said the administration will raise the starting pay for federal air traffic controller academy students by 30% from the current level of $17.61 per hour during a hiring window that will extend from Thursday through March 17.
The department also said it would reduce the current eight-step hiring process at the FAA to a five-step process.
A DOT press release did not detail which portions of the hiring process are being removed but said that the changes will reduce the time-to-hire by four months.
The DOT also said that the process will be merit-based, with candidates who receive the highest score of "Well Qualified" on their Air Traffic Skills Assessment test being given priority for academy entry. The department did not explain how, or whether, that would differ from the process already in place, but the announcement follows previous unproven claims by Duffy and President Donald Trump that DEI initiatives have undermined the quality of the FAA workforce.
Travel Weekly has reached out to the DOT to clarify how its merit-based hiring approach will differ from the earlier process and which portions of the controller application process will be eliminated.
Praise from travel leaders
The hiring initiative drew quick praise from stakeholders in the airline and travel industries.
"Addressing the critical shortage of air traffic controllers is the most impactful action the government can take to improve safety, reliability and efficiency for air travelers," United CEO Scott Kirby said in prepared remarks.
U.S. Travel Association CEO Geoff Freeman complimented Duffy for "decisive action."
"These actions will accelerate the creation of the world-class aviation experience that travelers expect, demand and deserve," he said.
Even with an expedited timeline, the process of onboarding U.S. air traffic controllers will remain a lengthy one. Hires must spend several months training at the Oklahoma City academy, then apprentice for between one and three years at air traffic control facilities before becoming a certified controller, an FAA website explains.
The Trump administration has taken an inconsistent mix of steps relating to FAA personnel thus far. Last week, the administration dismissed what Duffy said was approximately 400 employees who weren't involved with critical safety. However, fired staffers have said critical safety workers were let go.
The January collision of an American Airlines regional jet with an Army helicopter near Washington Reagan National Airport brought the controller shortage to the forefront of public attention. Other recent incidents, including the flipping of a Delta regional plane upon landing in Toronto on Feb. 17, have further amplified public concern about U.S. aviation safety.