U.S. Transportation Secretary Announces Air Traffic Controller “Hiring Supercharge”

The Trump administration launched a multi-stage initiative to address a longstanding shortage of air traffic controllers, beginning under Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on February 27, 2025 and expanding through August 2025. This February 2025 announcement opened a three-week hiring window at the FAA Academy, increased starting salaries for Academy trainees by 30%, and streamlined the existing eight-step hiring process to five steps — cutting more than four months off the prior timeline. The May 2025 package built on that foundation by adding financial incentives: a $5,000 award for Academy graduates completing initial qualification training; a $5,000 award for new hires completing the same milestone; a $10,000 award for graduates assigned to one of 13 hard-to-staff facilities; and a retention lump sum of 20% of basic pay per additional year for certified professional controllers eligible to retire but under the mandatory retirement age of 56. The package also expanded opportunities for veteran military controllers, committed to additional Academy instructors, and established a new Learning Center in Oklahoma City. Finally, in August 2025, the FAA released updated formal workforce plans targeting at least 8,900 new air traffic controllers through 2028 and a separate Aviation Safety Workforce Plan that called for approximately 4,600 new safety inspectors and engineers through 2034.