KERA's Think Why would-be air traffic controllers quit
Aug 18, 2025
Transportation reporter Ian Duncan from The Washington Post dives into the alarming shortage of air traffic controllers and the dismal completion rates of FAA training programs. He reveals the intense pressures trainees face and discusses the toxic culture within the training environment, including biases that affect women and minorities. Ian highlights the urgent need for reform to retain new recruits and shares insights on what makes the training process so challenging and stressful, impacting both the future of air travel and safety.
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Nationwide Staffing Shortfall
- The FAA has about 11,000 certified controllers and estimates it needs over 14,000.
- That creates a nationwide shortage of roughly 3,000 controllers needing recruitment and training.
Short-Term Fixes Have Costs
- FAA uses compulsory overtime and slows airline traffic to cope with understaffing.
- Both stopgaps raise workload or reduce system capacity and carry clear trade-offs.
Lengthy, Variable Apprenticeship
- After the FAA academy recruits enter facilities they face 18 months to four years of location-specific training.
- Progress varies widely by facility complexity and local training capacity.