FAA sets controller target at 12,563

The Federal Aviation Administration released a new 2026-2028 air traffic controller workforce plan on May 15 that set its full staffing target at 12,563 Certified Professional Controllers, or CPCs. The agency said the figure is based on forecast demand and a review by the National Academy of Sciences’ Transportation Research Board. The new target is lower than the 14,633-controller estimate in the FAA’s prior workforce plan, according to agency documents and current FAA statements. The plan also lays out annual hiring targets through fiscal 2028 and pairs the staffing reset with technology and scheduling changes the agency says will reduce overtime and improve efficiency. ### Why did the FAA lower the controller target? The FAA said on May 15 that its new 12,563-controller target reflects forecast demand rather than the older staffing estimate used in previous plans. In its announcement, the agency said the target was based on findings from the National Academy of Sciences’ Transportation Research Board, which reviewed existing staffing models and methodologies. (faa.gov) Bryan Bedford, the FAA administrator, said the plan rests on three pillars: expanding hiring, optimizing controller efficiency and modernizing the National Airspace System. The agency said newer staffing models and scheduling tools should reduce excessive overtime, which it linked to fatigue and burnout. Bloomberg reported the change reduced the overall staffing target by about 2,000 controllers from the prior estimate. (faa.gov) ### How many controllers does the FAA say it has now? As of April 2026, the FAA said about 11,000 CPCs 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 and were training at new facilities. The FAA said it can take more than two years to fully certify a new-hire controller, depending on the complexity of the assigned facility. (faa.gov) That timeline helps explain why the agency is still planning large annual hiring classes even after cutting its full staffing target. ### What hiring numbers did the agency put in the new plan? The 2026-2028 plan calls for the FAA to achieve or exceed hiring targets of 2,200 controllers in fiscal 2026, 2,300 in fiscal 2027 and 2,400 in fiscal 2028. (faa.gov) The agency said it was already 60% toward meeting its 2026 hiring goal when it released the plan. The FAA also said it will expand its Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative and Enhanced AT-CTI programs through more partnerships with colleges, universities and technical schools. (faa.gov) The plan says the agency will try to improve academy completion rates and assign graduates more quickly to facilities with the greatest staffing need. ### How does the vehicle-transponder move fit into the same announcement cycle? (faa.gov) On May 13, the FAA said it would spend $16.5 million to equip all of its airport vehicles with transponders known as Vehicle Movement Area Transmitters. The agency said the devices help controllers identify and track vehicles on runways and taxiways, and that more than 50 airports had already expressed interest in similar installations. (faa.gov) The FAA said it had been planning the transponder project for several months but accelerated it after the March 22, 2026 accident at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, where an Air Canada jet struck an unequipped Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicle after landing. The agency said the funding will allow it to begin equipping about 1,900 FAA vehicles at 44 airports with ASDE-X and ASSC systems and at 220 airports that have or will receive Surface Awareness Initiative surveillance systems. (faa.gov) ### What comes next in the FAA plan? Fiscal 2026 is the next test of the strategy because the FAA has set a hiring goal of 2,200 controllers for the year and said it is still building toward the 12,563-controller target. The agency’s May 15 workforce plan is posted on its reports-to-Congress page, alongside the detailed 2026-2028 staffing document and appendices. (faa.gov 1) (faa.gov 2)