NOAA Meteorologist at work in a National Weather Service Station in in Tampa, June 2025. Image: Dennis MacDonald/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffAn FAA-National Weather Service interagency agreement on aviation meteorologist staffing is set to expire Sept. 30, 2025, as the agencies negotiate a replacement that could reduce positions and shift more forecasting to regional hubs. Meanwhile, the number of meteorologists providing real‑time weather support to FAA air traffic control centers has fallen sharply, leaving remaining staff under strain and raising potential safety concerns, according to a GAO report released Aug. 28.
The 2016 pact originally called for 90 meteorologists at 21 Center Weather Service Units and the FAA Command Center, funded through FAA reimbursements. In 2024, the FAA sought to lower that number to 71 full‑time equivalents, citing budget constraints and historical staffing averages—a move the NWS warned could pose safety and economic risks.
A February 2025 compromise set the fiscal 2025 cap at 81 full time employees, roughly in line with recent attrition, but proposals for the next agreement envision staffing between 62 and 71.
Staffing in the NWS units, embedded in each of the FAA’s 21 Air Route Traffic Control Centers, has already dropped from the agreed 81 FTEs in recent years to 69 as of June 2025. Several centers now operate with only one or two meteorologists, forcing others to provide remote coverage and increasing workload strain.
The GAO noted that the FAA considered deeper cuts in 2024 before reversing course, but has yet to fully assess the operational risks posed by current shortages. Representatives of airlines and air traffic controllers told auditors that fewer on‑site meteorologists could slow decision‑making during severe weather, potentially affecting both safety and efficiency.
The watchdog recommended that the FAA, in consultation with the NWS, identify and mitigate risks tied to meteorologist staffing “as a matter of urgency.” The Department of Transportation concurred.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, in a written response to the GAO, said the department agreed with the recommendations and would work with the FAA and NWS to address staffing risks.
The meteorologist shortfall comes amid broader FAA staffing challenges, according to the FAA Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan 2025-2028. The agency ended fiscal 2024 with 14,264 certified air traffic controllers after hiring 1,811 that year—slightly above its target. For fiscal 2025, it plans to hire at least 2,000 controllers, part of a goal to add 8,900 through 2028. The FAA is also recruiting 4,600 aviation safety inspectors and engineers by 2034, and has shortened application timelines, boosted starting pay by nearly 30%, and expanded training capacity at its Oklahoma City academy to accelerate hiring.
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