WirecompaniesBrief
‘One of the highest-stress occupations’: Why $148,000 median pay can’t fix the air traffic controller shortage
The FAA can only hire U.S. citizens as controllers. Rivals from Australia to Qatar are recruiting abroad.
Brief
Fewer people are working as air traffic controllers in the United States now, roughly 6% below the level of ten years ago, according to a January analysis by the Government Accountability Office, while flights depending on the system have increased 10%. Australia, Qatar and South Africa are all seeking a limited group of qualified staff, and FAA rules limit controllers to American citizens. The GAO found that about 2% of applicants finish the full training. The FAA hired 2,235 trainees in fiscal 2026, yet its certified workforce stood near 11,000 in April against a 12,563 target. Shutdowns and COVID-19 disrupted training, and psychology professor Tiffany Bisbey of George Washington University calls the job among the most stressful. She warns that shortcuts in training would be unsafe.
Why it matters: Staffing gaps in air traffic control shape how smoothly airlines and travelers move through the whole aviation system.
Read the full story