90% of Air Traffic Control Centers in the U.S. Are Operating with Minimum Staffing Levels

Two aviation accidents have occurred in less than a week in Florida, reigniting the debate over staffing shortages at air traffic control centers in the United States. The shortage of professionals continues to be a problem in the aviation industry, with approximately 90% of facilities operating with minimum staffing levels.

Aviation reports indicate that the United States currently has only about 11,000 trained air traffic controllers, compared with the more than 14,000—or as many as 16,000—needed to handle current air traffic levels. From 2013 to 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) consistently hired fewer controllers than necessary, resulting in a 13% decline in the number of controllers between 2010 and 2024, despite flight volume increasing by more than 8% over the same period. At the beginning of 2025, only about 10,800 certified controllers were actively working.

The number of air traffic controllers in the U.S. has declined by approximately 6% over the past decade, according to data from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. As a result, staffing shortages have emerged at critical facilities.

The shortage was particularly noticeable in the fall of 2025, during the government shutdown in October, when twelve FAA facilities were affected and thousands of workers left their positions.

Other factors that have worsened the current situation include:

• Government shutdowns. For example, the 2013 and 2018–2019 shutdowns froze all hiring and training activities.
• The COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the suspension of training for four months.
• Unexpected workforce and air traffic trends.

To address the shortage, the FAA has been working to hire and train new controllers. However, the process is neither simple nor quick and also poses a risk to aviation operations in general.

Why Is There a Shortage of Air Traffic Controllers?

Training Limitations

New controllers must complete a rigorous, multi-year training process that includes a four- to six-month course at the FAA Academy, followed by extensive on-the-job training at their assigned facilities. Certification at large, high-traffic facilities can take up to four years. In addition, limited classroom capacity, a shortage of experienced instructors, and high failure rates further limit the number of new controllers entering the workforce.

Strict Hiring and Eligibility Requirements

The FAA imposes strict criteria on applicants, including U.S. citizenship, being under the age of 31, medical and security clearances, near-perfect vision, and specific educational or work experience. Only about 10% of applicants pass the initial screening, and even fewer complete the full certification process.

Mandatory Retirement and Attrition

Controllers must retire at age 56, with exceptional extensions allowed up to age 60. In addition, heavy workloads, mandatory overtime, and stressful schedules contribute to burnout and attrition.

Dangers of Staffing Shortages at Air Traffic Control Centers

In 2026, staffing shortages at air traffic control centers represent a significant operational risk, although they do not automatically mean that flying is unsafe. The main problem is that having fewer controllers available forces facilities to operate with less capacity margin and, in some cases, with more overtime.

• Controller fatigue – Staffing shortages can increase overtime and reduce adequate rest periods.
• Higher likelihood of human error – Excessive workloads increase the risk of communication, coordination, or decision-making errors.
• More delays and cancellations – When there are not enough controllers, one safety measure is to temporarily reduce the number of aircraft that can enter or leave a sector.
• Increased risk of separation incidents – If two aircraft receive incompatible instructions or a conflict situation is not detected in time, a loss of separation can occur.
• Excessive reliance on overtime – This is a temporary solution that is difficult to sustain. The FAA itself notes that continuously relying on overtime can negatively affect performance and employee retention.
• Loss of experience – The FAA specifically identifies training capacity, instructor availability, and certification times as limitations within the system.

Does This Mean Flying in 2026 Is Dangerous?

One of the functions of air traffic management is to reduce the number of flights when available capacity does not allow them to be handled safely. In other words, the visible consequence of a staffing shortage may be a delay or traffic restriction rather than an accident; it does not necessarily increase the danger of flying, but rather reduces flight availability.

The concern is that a combination of staffing shortages, fatigue, increased traffic, equipment failures, and adverse weather conditions can simultaneously reduce safety margins. However, the FAA is attempting to address the problem through implementation of its 2026–2028 plan, which sets targets of hiring 2,200 controllers in 2026, 2,300 in 2027, and 2,400 in 2028, while accelerating training and improving shift scheduling.

The greatest danger posed by the staffing shortage is not necessarily that available controllers have to manage too much traffic for too long, but that this can increase fatigue and reduce the margin available to detect and correct errors before they develop into incidents.