Department of Transportation unveils plan to fill hundreds of air traffic controller positions

Filling air traffic controller positions at Austin airport

The Trump administration is tackling the nationwide shortage of Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers. This comes after a series of aviation crashes this year.

AUSTIN, Texas - The Trump administration is tackling the nationwide shortage of Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers. This comes after a series of aviation crashes this year.

The Austin airport has struggled with air traffic controller vacancies for several years. 

Now, the Department of Transportation has rolled out a plan to fill nearly 3,000 open positions.

Plan to fill air traffic controller positions

What they're saying:

At the height of an air traffic control shortage, the Trump administration is boosting efforts to keep the skies safe and aviation departments fully staffed.

The Department of Transportation plans to offer a $5,000 bonus for new air traffic controllers, raise the mandatory retirement age of 56, and encourage military controllers to continue their careers as civilians.

"And as they stay longer, and we're able to train more, that's how we're going to that's how we're going to close this gap," says Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

NY helicopter crash and Florida small plane crash

Investigators returned to the site of a deadly helicopter crash on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. We are now learning more about the victims onboard. Also, a small plane crash in Boca Raton killed three people onboard.

The Department of Transportation says the agency has streamlined the process to get candidates into the program at the FAA Academy, and it hopes to have a full staff of air traffic controllers in the next three to four years.

"It's a highly qualified job, and it is a specialist job, and you can't just replace them with inexperienced people and if you do replace them with inexperienced people the backlash is going to be accidents," says Zara Oldfield.

Plane and helicopter crashes in 2025

DC plane crash: Recovery efforts underway

The NTSB said it will consider several factors as it investigates the crash of a military helicopter and a regional jet near D.C. Meanwhile, crews are still working to recover the bodies of victims from the Potomac River

Big picture view:

There have been at least four major plane crashes nationwide this year and several near-misses.

In March, a groundstop was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration for arriving flights into the Austin airport from Dallas, New Orleans, and Houston due to the shortage of air traffic controllers, leaving travelers concerned.

Issues at Austin airport

Dig deeper:

In a 7 On Your Side investigation earlier this year, we uncovered how many air traffic controller positions were not filled at ABIA.

In January, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed only 32 controller positions were filled, compared to the target number of 60.

Air traffic controller issues at Austin airport

New numbers from the FAA show how understaffed Austin's airport is when it comes to air traffic controllers. These renewed concerns about staffing come after last week's deadly plane crashes on the East Coast, and following a series of near-misses at ABIA.

Years prior, there were also several vacancies with only 35 out of 42 air traffic controller positions filled in 2024.

"There's a lot of stress on the controllers. So, we need more air traffic controllers to come into this profession," says Duffy.