The FAA hired 1,811 air traffic controllers in fiscal year 2024, edging above its goal for the year as it begins the application process for 2025.
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The FAA continues to spool up on air traffic controller hiring, exceeding its goal of adding 1,800 this year and reopening the application process shortly for the next year, the agency reported today. In the current fiscal year ending September 30, the FAA has hired 1,811 controllers, the largest number in nearly 10 years as it works to reverse the decades-long staffing decline.
More than 3,400 controllers are now in various states of training, from initial instruction at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma to specialized airspace preparation. In all, the agency has more than 14,000 controllers on staff. According to its workforce plan from 2024 through 2033, the agency plans to ramp up hiring to 2,000 in fiscal year (FY) 2025 and a peak of 2,400 in FY 2026. Meanwhile, the controller staff will continue to increase with a goal of nearing 16,200 by FY 2031 as the wave of retirements ease and the agency recovers from Covid-era departures.
The next application period begins October 11. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, be able to speak English clearly, be younger than 31, and have a least a year of work and/or education experience. In addition, applicants must pass a medical exam, security investigation, and air traffic pre-employment skills assessment.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said meeting the goal this year is “a testament to the hard work of everyone involved and part of our ongoing work to rebuild the controller workforce. We will not rest on the success of this hiring push—we are already thinking about how to meet our goals next year and into the future. By starting early and casting a wide net for applications, we will continue to make progress on this critical work.”
The FAA continues to spool up on air traffic controller hiring, exceeding its goal of adding 1,800 this year and reopening the application process shortly for the next year, the agency reported today. In the current fiscal year ending September 30, the FAA has hired 1,811 controllers, the largest number in nearly 10 years as it works to reverse the decades-long staffing decline.
More than 3,400 controllers are now in various states of training, from initial instruction at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma to specialized airspace preparation. In all, the agency has more than 14,000 controllers on staff. According to its workforce plan from 2024 through 2033, the agency plans to ramp up hiring to 2,000 in fiscal year (FY) 2025 and a peak of 2,400 in FY 2026. Meanwhile, the controller staff will continue to increase with a goal of nearing 16,200 by FY 2031 as the wave of retirements ease and the agency recovers from Covid-era departures.
The next application period begins October 11. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, be able to speak English clearly, be younger than 31, and have a least a year of work and/or education experience. In addition, applicants must pass a medical exam, security investigation, and air traffic pre-employment skills assessment.