FAA Taps Community Colleges to Solve Air Traffic Controller Shortage  

Labor Landscape

SUNY Schenectady, located in upstate New York,  is the latest community college to be enlisted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to train the next generation of air traffic controllers and to help stem the controller shortage nationwide.   

The FAA was short about 3,000 certified air traffic controllers at the close of 2024, and has said it anticipates it will hire about 2,000 controllers this fiscal year after speeding up the hiring process, creating more programs via community colleges and boosting salaries for trainees.  

“SUNY Schenectady is proud to continue our legacy of excellence in aviation education and be at the forefront of  responding to a critical, national need for air traffic controllers by partnering with the FAA on the new Enhanced   AT- 

CTI program,’’ said SUNY Schenectady President Steady Moono. 

Moono further noted that this is an extraordinary opportunity  that opens a pathway for more students from around the country to gain access  to the same rigorous curriculum, training and certification that the FAA provides at the Academy in Oklahoma City, right here at out community college.  

SUNY Schenectady is one of seven institutions across the country, and one of only three community colleges, that the FAA has authorized to provide curriculum  and advanced training technology that is offered at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. Students at SUNY Schenectady can earn their associate degree and enhanced AT-CTI in just two years.  And after completing the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) exam, and applicable background and security checks, they are prepared to work immediately at an FAA tower facility.  

Two other community colleges, Nashua Community College in New Hampshire and Community College of Beaver, are also offering air traffic controller programs approved by the FAA..  

Safety in the skies is a major concern for many Americans, with several recent plane crashes, like the one in Washington, D.C.  that took 67 lives. The incident occurred when American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army helicopter collided in midair near Ronald Reagan International airport in January, marking the deadliest crash in American aviation in two decades.  

Now, the National Transportation Safety Board has recommended the FAA permanently prohibit helicopter operations near the airport when certain runways are in use for arrivals and departures.   

“The Trump administration is taking aggressive action to supercharge the air traffic controller workforce,’’ said Sean P. Duffy, U.S. Transportation Secretary.  “By expanding the FAA Academy’s extensive curriculum…, we’re making it more accessible for the best and brightest to pursue a career as air traffic controllers – helping to ensure that air travel remains the safest mode of transportation.” 

The FAA also has a year-round hiring opportunity for experienced controllers from the military and private industry, and is enhancing training with modernized simulators to help get new hires through more efficiency.  The FAA plans to hire 8,900 air traffic controllers through a “supercharged” hiring program between now and late 2028.   

Additionally, the Department of Transportation and the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers, the air traffic controller’s union, struck a deal for further incentives to keep senior controllers in the ranks for longer periods of time.  

Air traffic controllers have a mandatory retirement age of 56, but Duffy said many eligible controllers were taking early retirement. Duffy said the DOT is now providing bonuses to controllers who are nearing retirement age to stay the full course.  And the DOT is also offering signing bonuses to controllers who are willing to go to less popular tower locations.  

Share This Article: