The FAA’s 2026–28 plan cuts its certified-controller target to 12,563, about 2,000 below its prior forecast. It says staffing models will allow safe operations with fewer; 2023 data showed only 23 of 313 FAA facilities met or exceeded staffing targets.
The latest detailed federal figures cited, from 2023, counted 7,047 certified controllers at control towers and approach facilities, nearly 2,000 below the agreed goal. New York’s approach control facility was staffed at 54% of target and Miami’s tower at 66%; towers in Philadelphia, Orlando, Austin, Albuquerque and Milwaukee were below 60%.
The FAA aims to hire about 15,000 controllers over the next decade, including 2,200 in 2026, 2,300 in 2027 and 2,400 in 2028, but full certification typically takes two to three years. United said staffing limits accounted for 68% of its 2024 delays on days with completely clear weather. Investigators have not concluded that staffing shortages directly caused the January 2025 collision near Reagan National, which killed 67, or the fatal March 2026 LaGuardia runway collision, which killed both pilots of an Air Canada Express flight.
