FAA cuts controller target to 12,563

The Federal Aviation Administration released a new controller workforce plan on May 15 that set a full-staffing target of 12,563 certified professional controllers, down from a 14,633 benchmark in its earlier planning framework. The agency said the new figure is based on forecast demand and a revised staffing model informed by a National Academy of Sciences review. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the plan is built around hiring, scheduling and technology changes rather than simply restoring the older target. The change arrived weeks before the peak summer travel period, when staffing levels and disruptions at major facilities are closely watched by airlines, labor groups and travelers. ### Where did the 12,563 figure come from? The FAA said on May 15 that 12,563 is its new full staffing target for certified professional controllers, or CPCs, the fully qualified controllers who work traffic without supervision. In its newsroom release, the agency said the number is “based on forecast demand” and tied to a three-part plan to expand hiring, optimize controller efficiency and modernize the national airspace system. (faa.gov) Bryan Bedford, the FAA administrator, said the agency is changing how it hires, trains and schedules controllers. The FAA said the revised target was determined using findings from the National Academy of Sciences’ Transportation Research Board, which reviewed the agency’s staffing models and methodologies. (faa.gov) ### Why is the new target lower than the old benchmark? The FAA’s earlier workforce planning documents used a 14,633 benchmark, while the new 2026-2028 plan uses 12,563 for fully certified controllers. That is a reduction of 2,070 positions from the prior benchmark that had been used in public reporting and earlier planning materials. (faa.gov) The agency said the lower number reflects a new staffing model and scheduling assumptions, not a claim that current staffing is sufficient. The FAA said modern staffing models and scheduling tools should improve efficiency and reduce reliance on overtime, which it said can contribute to fatigue and burnout. Bloomberg and CNBC, citing the new plan, also reported on May 15 that the agency was lowering the target while tying the move to efficiency and modernization measures. (faa.gov) ### How far below the new target is the FAA right now? As of April 2026, the FAA said about 11,000 certified professional controllers were deployed across more than 300 air traffic facilities. The agency also said roughly 4,000 controllers were in the training pipeline, including about 1,000 who had previously been fully certified at another facility and were training after reassignment. (faa.gov) The same release said it can take more than two years to fully certify a new-hire controller, depending on the complexity of the assigned facility. That timeline helps explain why the size of the training pipeline does not translate directly into near-term certified staffing at the busiest facilities. (faa.gov) ### What is the FAA promising to do next? The FAA said its plan calls for hiring 2,200 controllers in fiscal 2026, 2,300 in fiscal 2027 and 2,400 in fiscal 2028. The agency said it was already 60% of the way toward its 2026 hiring goal when it announced the plan. The FAA also said it will expand its Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative partnerships, steer academy graduates toward facilities with the greatest staffing need and use updated scheduling tools. (faa.gov) In a separate hiring page, the agency says new controllers move through academy training and then on-the-job experience before becoming certified professional controllers. ### What should readers watch after this change? The next public benchmark is the FAA’s progress against its fiscal 2026 hiring target of 2,200 controllers and the staffing levels it reports at major facilities through the summer and into the next workforce update. The agency’s controller workforce plans are published on FAA.gov, where the May 15, 2026 report and prior plans remain available for comparison. (faa.gov 1) (faa.gov 2)