The Federal Aviation Administration has announced plans
to hire and train 12,500 new air traffic controllers over
the next ten years to offset the expected retirement of
most of its 15,000 controllers stationed at 315 facilities
across the country.
Its controller-staffing plan outlines actions the agency
will take to stagger the training and certification of
new controllers — adjusted five percent for failures and
increased rates – and how to do so efficiently and quickly
to replace over 11,000 expected departures by 2014,
according to FAA.
It has also proposed allowing some “exceptional, medically
fit controllers” to remain on the job past the current
mandatory retirement age of 56.
“Staffing efficiencies, productivity improvements, and
better management will enable the agency to reduce
staffing requirements by at least 10 percent over the
10-year period from previous projections, producing a
reduction of 1,700 positions,” FAA said.
