Federal News Network
Jory Heckman
25 June 2025
The report recommends FAA should use “increased incentives” to convince more air traffic controllers to relocate from overstaffed to understaffed facilities.
The Federal Aviation Administration is taking steps to address its longstanding air traffic controller shortage. But a new report finds the FAA’s workforce is unevenly distributed, leading to overstaffing in some facilities, while some remain understaffed.
A report released last week by the National Academies of Sciences found that 30% of the FAA’s more than 300 air traffic control facilities are overstaffed. About 1,700 employees work in facilities staffed at more than 115% of their workforce targets, “some of whom could transfer and certify at understaffed major facilities.”
