“This particular air traffic control facility has been chronically understaffed for years and without these controllers, it’s now clear — and the FAA tells us — that Newark airport cannot ...

US air travel has seen a very bumpy year filled with safety incidents, fatal accidents and an air traffic control meltdown that has expedited plans for a complete overhaul of the system. 2025 ...

Duffy is expected to speak on the importance of the bill in order to improve outdated air traffic control systems. His ...

The median salary for an air traffic control specialist is $127,805, according to the FAA. The rigorous hiring process including the passing of a test, medical and security background check and ...

And the FAA's air traffic control academy in Oklahoma City is limited to an annual 1,800 trainees, Sumwalt said. About 30% of those trainees are unable to complete the training and assessment.

Updated at 1:36 p.m. ET on May 20, 2025. The ongoing crisis at Newark Liberty International Airport has laid bare the sorry state of our nation’s air-traffic-control system.

Plans for a new air traffic control system were announced Thursday by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy amid a spotlight on the out-of-date ATC system and the air traffic controller shortage.

Because of an antiquated system and a lack of controllers, “we are not able to fly the schedule that we’d like or that our customers expect,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said.

The Trump administration has announced a plan to replace the country’s aging air traffic control system with an all-new technology—but needs Congress to allot tens of billions of dollars.