The FAA will no longer use the control tower operator (CTO) airman certificate as a means of certifying controllers. The agency is using a new credentialing system that it says duplicates the efforts required to earn the CTO and includes all air traffic controllers. Once issued, the FAA’s new credential is valid for two years, “after which the individual undergoes another skills evaluation similar to the one used for the initial certification. The biennial skills evaluation is required for all air traffic controllers, regardless of their assignment to a tower, approach control or en route air traffic control facility.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (Natca) provided the only dissenting voice to the FAA’s notice of proposed rulemaking to eliminate the CTO airmen certificate. In its comments on the NPRM, the association wrote, “If the FAA eliminates the requirement for the CTO certificate [to certify controllers], important training requirements risk elimination, which will result in a significant lack of appropriate oversight and create disparities between FAA and non-FAA tower air traffic control specialists.” Natca added that the knowledge, skill and experience requirements in Part 65 for CTO certificate holders have not been properly incorporated into FAA Orders and the agency did not perform an analysis to support the change.