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Like all Americans, the nation’s aviation sector is united in grief over recent aviation accidents. Safety is so interwoven in every facet of our operations and culture that when these rare moments of tragedy occur, they shake us to our core. With many overlapping layers of security, commercial air travel remains the safest mode of transportation in America. Yet, there is no ceiling for improvement and the events of earlier this year serve as a somber and jarring reminder that we can never be complacent.
The dedication of both President Donald Trump and Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy to directly confront the stagnation that has hampered the modernization of our Air Traffic Control system for decades has already been a source of encouragement. Addressing the significant challenges facing the ATC system will take the unwavering and bipartisan commitment of government leadership.
I testified this week before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation and was repeatedly asked by House members what Congress should do going forward. What’s needed from Congress is both oversight and focused, persistent pressure on the FAA to act with urgency to address the longstanding ATC staffing shortage and to modernize facilities and critical equipment.
Now, in the wake of tragedy, Congress and the Trump administration have a window of opportunity to accomplish historically meaningful change. Those actions boil down to getting an emergency funding proposal signed into law that will ensure the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a sufficient skilled workforce (controllers and technicians), modern technology, and a long-term fix to the budgeting process that will allow it to plan long-term capital projects.
In June 2023, a DOT Inspector General investigation found that the “FAA continues to face staffing challenges and lacks a plan to address them, which in turn poses a risk to the continuity of air traffic operations.” And the chronic understaffing is getting worse. There were 1,020 fewer Certified Professional Controllers (CPCs) at the end of FY 2024 than there were at the end of FY 2012, a 9% decrease.
The FAA must accelerate its progress in hiring and training controllers by expanding capacity at the FAA’s Oklahoma Training Academy and with the Air Traffic Enhanced Collegiate Training Initiatives (AT-ECTI) over the next 7 to 10 years. Capacity can be improved through increased hours of academy operation and by offering training at other suitable FAA facilities and through virtual platforms. New state-of-the-art training systems, including high-fidelity simulators that can improve efficient training and reduce the CPC certification time by 30%, should be acquired and implemented.
FIGURE SKATING TITANS COME TOGETHER FOR EMOTIONAL EVENT BENEFITING VICTIMS OF DC PLANE CRASH
For its part, the FAA must maximize the efficiency of such funds. For example, unnecessary and outdated curriculum should be eliminated. And given the Academy’s current 50% failure rate, a more effective ATC skills assessment test must be developed to better predict a candidate’s ability to succeed prior to entering training. The FAA should also explore incentive programs for controllers who pass their medical and currency exams to stay on the job past their eligible retirement date. This will provide a short-term benefit of retaining more experienced controllers as hiring spools up.
Replacing the antiquated technology that runs our ATC system will require significant investment from the federal government, but upholding the highest standards of safety for all who use our nation’s airspace deserves nothing less. Divesting old and outdated technologies and facilities will reduce costs and inefficiencies, while strengthening American competitiveness.
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In the short term, investments should be aligned with a risk-based approach. A few examples would include upgrades to NOTAM (notifies pilots of changes to air traffic, such as a closed runway) and other critical/aging systems to ensure stabilization and contingency of service.
Telecommunication networks should be upgraded urgently. Improvements to radar, tower and facility investments should be prioritized based on traffic, risk and age. This should include HVAC and back-up power sources that frequently cause outages in service.
Given that the vast majority of delays are generated in New York airspace, aging technology for routing airplanes in and out of NYC airspace should be redesigned, to include rapid reroute capabilities. Investments should be made in technology that improves pilot situation awareness and provides more accurate and reliable interval management.
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A long-term fix to the budgeting process is needed to allow the FAA to plan long-term capital projects. The FAA is funded by the Airport and Airways Trust Fund (AATF), which is funded by aviation fuel taxes, ticket taxes and a few other fees. Those funds can only be used by the FAA through conventional congressional appropriations, and they are subject to all the federal budget discretionary spending limits. Consequently, the FAA’s budget is completely unpredictable, and aviation competes with housing, rail or any other discretionary item for limited discretionary funds.
During this small window for action, it is paramount that Congress, the administration and the aviation community come together and embrace bold and decisive action to ensure that we do not squander this opportunity to enhance aviation safety.
