The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced it has exceeded its hiring goal for the 2026 Fiscal Year, recruiting 2,235 air traffic controller trainees – the most in FAA history.
This record was preceded by the Administrations ‘gamer campaign’, which saw over 12,000 qualified candidates apply in 24 hours.
In recent years, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced intentions to hire a minimum of 8,900 new air traffic controller trainees through 2028 in a bid to strengthen the workforce responsible for managing one of the the world’s busiest and most complex airspaces.
To achieve this, the FAA has expanded onsite Academy training, with June having seen the highest number of air traffic academy students in FAA’s history, and more than 1,300 trainees having graduated from the academy this fiscal year thus far.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, said:Meeting this year’s hiring goal is an important milestone, but it’s not the finish line.
We are focused on continuing to bring the best and the brightest people into the profession, giving them the training and tools they need to succeed, and building a stronger, more resilient air traffic control workforce. Every new controller represents an investment in the future of the National Airspace System.
