Did Trump’s FAA slash the staffing target for air traffic control?
PolitiFact – Rulings and Stories — 2026-05-26 16:20:00 — www.politifact.com
Buttigieg Questions FAA’s New Hiring Plan Amid Controller Shortage
With air traffic controllers in high demand, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressed confusion over a new federal hiring plan that aims to reduce the number of air traffic controllers. “We just saw, quietly, a Friday news dump out of the Department of Transportation at the end of last week saying that they were going to cut the target for air traffic control hiring, slash the air traffic control targets by about 2,000,” Buttigieg said on May 17 during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union.
Just two days prior, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unveiled its 2026-28 air traffic controller workforce plan, which set a new staffing target of 12,563 controllers, a significant drop from the previous forecast of 14,633 outlined in earlier workforce plans.
Context Behind the Staffing Reduction
Buttigieg’s assertion about the reduction in staffing targets is accurate; however, he did not provide the context for this change. The new staffing goal was established following a legislatively mandated review. The air traffic controllers’ union, however, supports an alternate staffing model that it helped develop, which calls for a higher number of controllers.
As of April 2026, the FAA remains below its staffing target, with approximately 11,000 controllers currently employed nationwide. An additional 4,000 controllers are in training, a process that can take two to three years after graduating from the FAA Academy before they achieve full certification.
Union’s Reaction and Concerns
Buttigieg’s spokesperson, Sean Manning, highlighted media coverage that characterized the plan as a “slash” to air traffic control staffing targets, referencing skepticism from air traffic controllers themselves. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) issued a statement indicating that it was not involved in the development of the new workforce plan and expressed surprise that it was based on the 2025 Air Traffic Controller Workforce Imperative, the mandated review of the two staffing models.
The union has previously dismissed the review’s staffing model as “the root cause of the staffing crisis we now face.” When asked if the union would negotiate regarding the new plan, a spokesperson declined to comment.
FAA’s Strategy for Staffing
The FAA has stated that it plans to allocate staff more efficiently by employing modern scheduling tools and reviewing operational hours at each facility to align staffing levels with periods of high demand. FAA spokesperson Donnell Evans told PolitiFact, “Our new staffing model and workforce plan will enhance the safety and efficiency of our skies,” adding that the plan was developed by an “independent and objective organization with non-partisan experts.”
Ongoing Disagreements Over Staffing Models
Michael McCormick, an air traffic management associate professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, noted that the new staffing model has been a point of contention for decades. He participated in the workgroup that developed the alternate staffing model favored by the union. The FAA’s model relies on calculations and traffic data to determine preliminary staffing levels per facility, while the collaborative workgroup model assesses on-position hours during busy days and the number of controllers needed, incorporating local expertise.
The Transportation Research Board committee concluded that while the collaborative workgroup model accounts for controllers’ time off, training, and other duties, it lacks the ability to forecast future staffing standards based on traffic projections. McCormick emphasized that automated systems for improving scheduling and productivity are not currently in use, and any scheduling changes would require negotiations with the union.
Margaret Wallace, an aviation management assistant professor at the Florida Institute of Technology, remarked, “Everything depends on what kind of technology they plan to introduce.” She noted that there has been no “real” discussion about the technology to be implemented.
McCormick reiterated that the FAA needs to hire over 2,000 controllers annually for at least the next three years, regardless of which staffing model is employed.
Source: https://www.politifact.com/article/2026/may/26/air-traffic-control-staffing-target-FAA-hiring/