Air Traffic Controller Recruitment and Training: A Changing Environment

Abstract

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in the midst of an air traffic controller staffing crisis. The FAA anticipates that approximately 72 percent of the air traffic controller workforce will be eligible for retirement (FAA, 2007a). To offset this impending wave of retirements, the FAA plans to hire and train more than 15,000 new air traffic controllers over the next 10 years (FAA, 2007a). In response to this staffing challenge, the FAA is modifying and expanding its recruitment and training policies. This article discusses the sequence of events leading to the FAA's air traffic control (ATC) staffing dilemma. It also examines the numerous recruitment and training venues being explored by the FAA as it struggles to negotiate the challenges of staffing the safest and most complex ATC system in the world.