As the federal government entered the second week of a shutdown, staffing shortages among air traffic controllers began impacting travel.But even before the shutdown began on Oct. 1, a shortage of air traffic controllers existed.More than 13,000 air traffic controllers were set to continue working during the shutdown without pay, according to the Department of Transportation’s contingency plan. Other activities that will continue include the hiring and field training of controllers."You've seen the delays around the country. You've seen us warn for over a decade that if we do not do something and there's not an investment, there's going to be additional delays," Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told the Washington News Bureau.There were 13,744 total air traffic controllers on board as of Sept. 21, 2024, including 3,044 in training roles, according to the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan for 2025 to 2028. This total also includes both terminals and en route facilities.They're on pace to climb out of the current staffing crisis, Daniels said. But staffing still falls short of the target.There were 10,730 Certified Professional Controllers on board, falling short of the 14,633 target that the FAA had, and the controller union developed the Collaborative Resource Workgroup (CRWG).Even including both types of trainees, staffing is at about 94% of the target. According to the plan, published in August, the target set by the CRWG just counts certified professional controllers (CPCs) — not including CPCs in training.Certified professional controllers in training, or CPC-ITs, were certified at one facility but were in the process of transferring to another facility. The full certification at a new facility takes a year and a half or more before controlling live traffic unassisted.As the FAA experiences staffing shortfalls for air traffic controllers, levels have also declined in recent decades, according to data from NATCA, the union representing controllers, and the FAA.Total air traffic control staffing has increased during the last two fiscal years after declining each year since fiscal year 2018. In fiscal year 2024, the FAA hired 1,811 controllers — 11 more than its hiring goal for the year — with approximately 1,400 employees leaving.It also plans to increase hiring each year from fiscal year 2025 to 2028, according to the administration’s workforce plan.The FAA’s workforce plan also detailed staffing levels at individual terminals and en route facilities in the United States and territories.A Get the Facts Data Team analysis of the staffing data found that when not including trainees, just three facilities were at 100% staffing for fully-trained certified controllers.The FAA has an 85% threshold for staffing to prioritize placing controllers at a facility, according to a 2023 government audit.The data team’s analysis of the staffing data found that nearly 89% of air traffic control terminals and en route facilities were below the FAA’s 85% threshold when counting fully trained, certified controllers.Out of 313 terminals and en route facilities, 215 were at 75% or below of the staffing target, and 16 facilities only had 50% or less of their staffing target.The 313 facilities include 23 Air Route Traffic Control Centers, or ARTCCs, which are larger regions often covering multiple states. ARTCCs direct high-altitude traffic between airports.Air traffic controllers have been a key part in shutdowns, most recently when controllers were at the center of the ending of the 35-day shutdown in 2019, when employees didn’t show up to work.A report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in June this year detailed staffing shortfalls for controllers, citing "past hiring constraints and a misallocated workforce.""This staffing shortfall is partially due to hiring constraints from two government shutdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in hiring freezes, training reductions, and other disruptions," the report said.The FAA's controller workforce plan also cited the last government shutdown as impacting staffing efforts."Controller staffing recovery would benefit from uninterrupted hiring and training activities," the report stated.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
WASHINGTON — As the federal government entered the second week of a shutdown, staffing shortages among air traffic controllers began impacting travel.
But even before the shutdown began on Oct. 1, a shortage of air traffic controllers existed.
More than 13,000 air traffic controllers were set to continue working during the shutdown without pay, according to the Department of Transportation’s contingency plan. Other activities that will continue include the hiring and field training of controllers.
"You've seen the delays around the country. You've seen us warn for over a decade that if we do not do something and there's not an investment, there's going to be additional delays," Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told the Washington News Bureau.
There were 13,744 total air traffic controllers on board as of Sept. 21, 2024, including 3,044 in training roles, according to the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan for 2025 to 2028. This total also includes both terminals and en route facilities.
They're on pace to climb out of the current staffing crisis, Daniels said. But staffing still falls short of the target.
There were 10,730 Certified Professional Controllers on board, falling short of the 14,633 target that the FAA had, and the controller union developed the Collaborative Resource Workgroup (CRWG).
Even including both types of trainees, staffing is at about 94% of the target. According to the plan, published in August, the target set by the CRWG just counts certified professional controllers (CPCs) — not including CPCs in training.
Certified professional controllers in training, or CPC-ITs, were certified at one facility but were in the process of transferring to another facility. The full certification at a new facility takes a year and a half or more before controlling live traffic unassisted.
As the FAA experiences staffing shortfalls for air traffic controllers, levels have also declined in recent decades, according to data from NATCA, the union representing controllers, and the FAA.
Total air traffic control staffing has increased during the last two fiscal years after declining each year since fiscal year 2018. In fiscal year 2024, the FAA hired 1,811 controllers — 11 more than its hiring goal for the year — with approximately 1,400 employees leaving.
It also plans to increase hiring each year from fiscal year 2025 to 2028, according to the administration’s workforce plan.
The FAA’s workforce plan also detailed staffing levels at individual terminals and en route facilities in the United States and territories.
A Get the Facts Data Team analysis of the staffing data found that when not including trainees, just three facilities were at 100% staffing for fully-trained certified controllers.
The FAA has an 85% threshold for staffing to prioritize placing controllers at a facility, according to a 2023 government audit.
The data team’s analysis of the staffing data found that nearly 89% of air traffic control terminals and en route facilities were below the FAA’s 85% threshold when counting fully trained, certified controllers.
Out of 313 terminals and en route facilities, 215 were at 75% or below of the staffing target, and 16 facilities only had 50% or less of their staffing target.
The 313 facilities include 23 Air Route Traffic Control Centers, or ARTCCs, which are larger regions often covering multiple states. ARTCCs direct high-altitude traffic between airports.
Air traffic controllers have been a key part in shutdowns, most recently when controllers were at the center of the ending of the 35-day shutdown in 2019, when employees didn’t show up to work.
A report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in June this year detailed staffing shortfalls for controllers, citing "past hiring constraints and a misallocated workforce."
"This staffing shortfall is partially due to hiring constraints from two government shutdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in hiring freezes, training reductions, and other disruptions," the report said.
The FAA's controller workforce plan also cited the last government shutdown as impacting staffing efforts.
"Controller staffing recovery would benefit from uninterrupted hiring and training activities," the report stated.
