The FAA Controller Shortage: What the 2026 Plan Says

The FAA publishes a controller workforce plan for Congress every year, and it is the most useful public document there is for anyone deciding whether to apply. The 2026–2028 plan, published on 1 June 2026, sets hiring targets of 2,200, 2,300 and 2,400 new controllers across fiscal years 2026, 2027 and 2028.

Those numbers are why nationwide trainee announcements keep appearing. Here is what the plan actually says, and what it implies if you are thinking about applying.

What happened in FY2025

The plan's recap is specific:

• "The FAA hired 2,028 air traffic controller trainees in FY 2025, the highest number since 2008, exceeding its target of 2,000 hires."
• "The FAA raised starting salaries for Academy students by nearly 30 percent and implemented financial incentives for Academy completion."
• "Total workforce losses during FY 2025, including Academy attrition, developmental training failures, retirements, resignations, promotions, and other separations, totaled 1,460."
• A retention bonus was introduced, and "nearly 400 retirement eligible controllers have been retained due to the new bonus structure."
• The net effect was "a net gain of 568, which will lead to an increase in the certified controller population in FY 2026 and beyond as these controllers complete their training."

Read the gap between 2,028 and 568 carefully. Hiring two thousand people produced a net gain of under six hundred, because 1,460 left. A large share of those losses are Academy attrition and developmental training failures — people who were hired and did not make it. That is the shape of the pipeline, and it is the reason the FAA hires "two to three years ahead of projected attrition".

The three-year plan

The plan sets out three strategic pillars: "grow the workforce, optimize scheduling efficiency, and modernize the NAS." On growth, the FAA states it "will achieve or exceed hiring targets of 2,200, 2,300, and 2,400 new air traffic controllers in FY 2026, FY 2027, and FY 2028 while continuing to attract high-quality candidates."

It also commits to "increase training program completion rates in each year of the plan" and to "expand Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) and Enhanced AT-CTI programs by further expanding partnerships with colleges, universities, and technical schools across the United States."

All of it sits under section 437 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Public Law 118-63), and the plan notes the work remains "subject to appropriations".

Is it really a shortage?

The plan is more careful about this than headlines usually are. Comparing to fiscal year 2000, "the high mark for traffic", it reports that "total headcount is three percent below, while traffic is 16 percent below FY 2000 levels" — and describes staffing as "still ahead of traffic".

The sharper figure is the certified population. Over the decade from FY2015 to FY2025 the plan reports that "instrument flight rules (IFR) traffic has increased slightly while CPC staffing has declined slightly." Certified Professional Controllers are the constraint, not headcount: a facility can have people on the books who are not yet qualified to work positions alone.

The plan also attributes part of the present position to history, noting "significant hiring misses in FY13–FY15 (1,362 total) caused reduction in headcount". Hiring gaps take a decade to work through a system where certification takes two to three years.

What this means if you are applying

• Announcements should keep coming. Targets of 2,200 to 2,400 a year cannot be met without regular nationwide windows. Our hiring window tracker records what has actually opened.
• Hiring more does not mean selecting more loosely. The plan's stated aim is to hire at volume "while continuing to attract high-quality candidates", and to raise completion rates rather than lower standards.
• The Academy is the bottleneck the FAA is working on. Increasing training capacity and completion rates is an explicit goal, which tells you where the failures are concentrated. Our Academy guide covers the published graduation rates.
• CTI routes are being expanded. If you are choosing a college now, the plan's commitment to expanding AT-CTI and Enhanced AT-CTI is relevant. See our Enhanced AT-CTI guide.
• Working conditions are part of the plan. Scheduling efficiency, the Theory of Constraints work with NATCA, and the modernisation pillar are all framed partly around reducing "controller workload, stress, and fatigue". Our shifts and rest rules guide covers the 2024 fatigue agreement.

The part the plan cannot help with

Demand for controllers does not change the gate. Every applicant still sits the Air Traffic Skills Assessment, and the FAA's qualifications page still states that "less than 10% of all applicants meet these requirements and are accepted into the training program."

A hiring surge improves your odds of there being a window to apply to. It does not improve your odds of passing the test. Start with our preparation guide, try the free section demos, and see pricing for full access.

Frequently asked questions

How many air traffic controllers does the FAA want to hire?

The 2026–2028 workforce plan sets targets of 2,200 in FY2026, 2,300 in FY2027 and 2,400 in FY2028.

How many did the FAA hire last year?

2,028 trainees in FY2025 — the highest number since 2008, against a target of 2,000.

Is the FAA actually short of controllers?

The plan reports total headcount three percent below the FY2000 peak with traffic 16 percent below it, and describes staffing as still ahead of traffic. Over FY2015–FY2025 it reports IFR traffic up slightly while certified controller staffing declined slightly.

Why does hiring 2,000 people only add 568?

Because total workforce losses in FY2025 were 1,460, including Academy attrition, developmental training failures, retirements and resignations.

Does the shortage make it easier to get hired?

It makes announcements more frequent. The FAA's stated approach is to hire at volume while continuing to attract high-quality candidates and to raise training completion rates.

Where can I read the plan?

The FAA publishes it for Congress under section 437(a) of Public Law 118-63; the 2026–2028 edition is linked in our sources below.