A recent report by the CBS network, citing data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), reveals that over 90% of control towers at US airports lack sufficient air traffic controllers. The report highlights that fewer than 10% of the towers meet the standards set by a joint working group comprising the FAA and the air traffic controllers’ union.
The FAA uses two standards for air traffic controller staffing: a minimum and a higher goal. According to the report, only about 2% of the control towers meet the goal for the number of fully trained air traffic controllers. Even when including all trainees, the percentage rises to only 8%.
Furthermore, as of 2023, none of the national air traffic control centers serving high-altitude routes had a sufficient number of fully trained air traffic controllers.
The working group has set a goal to hire around 14,600 air traffic controllers. The FAA cites the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason for the staffing shortage, with a report excerpt stating, “At the beginning of the pandemic, some activities were stripped or significantly reduced to protect employees and ensure the continuity of operations.”
Even recruitment goals, including those related to air traffic controller training, were reduced during this time, as per the document. National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels told CBS News, “If we were to hire 2,000 people today, only about 1,000 of them would be certified air traffic controllers in two to three years.”
On the night of January 30, a Bombardier aircraft operated by American Airlines crashed in the United States, colliding with a military Black Hawk helicopter in the approach to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. Both aircraft fell into the Potomac River, with 60 passengers and four crew members on the plane and three people on the helicopter. The plane was carrying figure skaters and coaches on the return from the US championships.
At the time of the crash, only one air traffic controller was providing instructions to the aircraft, whereas two controllers are mandated, according to a preliminary FAA report, as reported by the New York Times.