Cleared for Takeoff!

The skies above the United States are an extremely busy place. Every day, 45,000 planes carrying 3 million passengers take off, fly through the skies, and land at airports across the country. Someone must guide all those aircraft to and from their destinations. That job falls to thousands of air traffic controllers.

“Air traffic controllers are responsible for the safe and orderly flights of all aircraft in the U.S.,” says Michael McCormick. He runs the air traffic management program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. “It’s an extremely demanding but rewarding job,” says McCormick. But there’s a problem: The U.S. is experiencing a shortage of people qualified to work in this field.

This issue made headlines last January, after a plane collided with a helicopter over Washington, D.C., killing 67 people. A few months later, equipment outages at Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey left air traffic controllers unable to track or communicate with planes. The incident brought renewed attention to the fact that there are too few air traffic controllers on the job.

The skies above the United States are extremely busy. Every day, about 45,000 planes take off, fly through the skies, and land at airports across the country. They carry 3 million passengers. Someone must guide all those aircraft to and from their destinations. That job falls to thousands of air traffic controllers.

“Air traffic controllers are responsible for the safe and orderly flights of all aircraft in the U.S.,” says Michael McCormick. He runs the air traffic management program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. “It’s an extremely demanding but rewarding job,” says McCormick. But the U.S. has a problem. Not enough people are qualified to work in this field.

This issue made headlines last January. A plane and a helicopter hit one another over Washington, D.C. The crash killed 67 people. A few months later, equipment outages occurred at Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey. Air traffic controllers couldn’t track or communicate with planes. The incident brought more attention to the shortage of air traffic controllers.

The number of planes taking to the skies has more than doubled in the past 25 years, increasing the need for more air traffic controllers. But the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has struggled to keep up with the demand. That’s partly because controllers must retire by age 56 due to the stressful nature of the job. Candidates to take their place can’t be older than 31. And it takes several years for them to apply, get trained, and become fully certified.

To accelerate this process, the FAA recently partnered with a handful of community colleges and universities, including Embry-Riddle. These schools now offer programs to begin training future air traffic controllers earlier so they can start their careers sooner.

One of those potential air traffic controllers is Hailee Williamson, a 20-year-old student at Embry-Riddle. “It’s a great profession,” she says. The job is in high demand and pays about $137,000 per year, on average. Williamson says it’s a good choice for anyone interested in aviation who enjoys thinking on their feet. Now the FAA just needs more young people to follow in her footsteps.

The number of planes in the air has more than doubled in the past 25 years. That has increased the need for air traffic controllers. But the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has struggled to meet the demand. One reason is that controllers must retire by age 56. That’s because the job is so stressful. Possible replacements can’t be older than 31. They must apply, get trained, and become fully certified. And that takes several years.

The FAA is trying to speed up this process. So it recently partnered with a few community colleges and universities. Embry-Riddle is one of them. These schools now offer programs to begin training future air traffic controllers earlier. That way, they can start their careers sooner.

Hailee Williamson is one of those potential air traffic controllers. She’s a 20-year-old student at Embry-Riddle. “It’s a great profession,” she says. The job is in high demand. It pays about $137,000 per year, on average. Williamson says it’s a good choice for anyone who likes aviation and enjoys thinking on their feet. Now the FAA just needs more young people to follow in her footsteps. 

So what exactly do air traffic controllers do? “People often think air traffic controllers are the workers with the light-up sticks on the tarmac,” says Williamson. Those workers, called aircraft marshallers, direct planes to and from parking spots at airports. But air traffic controllers work at air traffic control facilities, like the towers at airports and offsite centers (see “How Air Traffic Control Works”). There, they monitor planes and talk to pilots via headsets. Their goal is to keep planes a safe distance apart.

Air traffic controllers use GPS—the same technology drivers and pedestrians use to determine their position on the ground—to track aircraft as they fly. They also rely on radar, which uses radio waves to determine the location, direction, and speed of aircraft. This information allows air traffic controllers to make a mental map of all the planes they’re monitoring.

To guide those planes where they need to go, air traffic controllers must be able to recall a lot of details instantaneously and accurately. “There’s no time to Google the answer or ask ChatGPT,” says McCormick. Air traffic controllers need to memorize the layout of airports where they work, the many radio frequencies used to communicate with pilots, and designated flight paths. “Just like there are highways and roads that crisscross our nation, there are jetways and airways that crisscross our airspace,” says McCormick. “And you must know them all.”

So what do air traffic controllers do? “People often think air traffic controllers are the workers with the light-up sticks on the tarmac,” says Williamson. Those workers are called aircraft marshallers. They direct planes to and from parking spots at airports. But air traffic controllers work at air traffic control facilities. These include the towers at airports and offsite centers (see “How Air Traffic Control Works”). There, they monitor planes and talk to pilots through headsets. Their goal is to keep planes a safe distance apart.

Air traffic controllers use GPS to track aircraft as they fly. Drivers and pedestrians use the same technology to find their position on the ground. Controllers also rely on radar. It uses radio waves to determine the location, direction, and speed of aircraft. Air traffic controllers use this information to make a mental map of all the planes they’re monitoring.

Air traffic controllers need to guide those planes to the right places. To do that, they must recall many details quickly and accurately. “There’s no time to Google the answer or ask ChatGPT,” says McCormick. Air traffic controllers memorize the layout of airports where they work. They know the many radio frequencies used to communicate with pilots. And they remember designated flight paths. “Just like there are highways and roads that crisscross our nation, there are jetways and airways that crisscross our airspace,” says McCormick. “And you must know them all.”

Air traffic controllers often need to make split-second decisions. A mistake could lead to devastating results. That’s why the FAA’s hiring process is so rigorous. “Due to the nature of the profession, the standards are high,” says McCormick. “And you only want air traffic controllers who can perform to that standard.”

The first step to becoming an air traffic controller is to pass an aptitude test. It evaluates whether a person will be a good fit for the job. The test assesses memory, math, and spatial reasoning—the ability to understand relationships between objects in a three-dimensional space. These skills are important parts of air traffic control. The test is tough—only about 10 percent of candidates pass on the first try.

Successful applicants must next go through medical and background checks. Only then will they be admitted to the FAA Academy in Oklahoma. There, they undergo five weeks of training to learn the skills necessary to become an air traffic controller. Because it’s so intense, roughly one-third of students who enter the FAA Academy don’t finish the training.

Air traffic controllers must often make split-second decisions. A mistake could lead to disaster. That’s why the FAA’s hiring process is so demanding. “Due to the nature of the profession, the standards are high,” says McCormick. “And you only want air traffic controllers who can perform to that standard.”

The first step to becoming an air traffic controller is to pass an aptitude test. It determines if a person will be a good fit for the job. The test checks memory, math, and spatial reasoning. That’s the ability to understand relationships between objects in a three-dimensional space. These skills are important parts of air traffic control. The test is tough. Only about 10 percent of applicants pass on the first try.

Successful applicants must go through medical and background checks next. Then they can be admitted to the FAA Academy in Oklahoma. There, they learn the skills that an air traffic controller needs. The training takes five weeks. It’s very intense. About one-third of students at the FAA Academy don’t finish the training.

Programs like the one at Embry-Riddle, though, aim to improve the success rate of applicants. Students complete all the steps necessary to become air traffic controllers—including testing, medical and background checks, and training—while working on their undergraduate degree. They learn all the same things they would at the FAA Academy and receive hands-on experience using simulators to direct virtual planes on radar screens. But they have more time to work one-on-one with, and get feedback from, teachers.

Graduates of the program can then go right to work, helping fill empty air traffic controller positions faster. Training for other technical careers, like electricians or carpenters, works in a similar way. Students complete specialized education programs, so they’re immediately ready to get a job (see “Job Training”).

Last summer, the first group of four students graduated from Embry-Riddle’s air traffic controller training program. But more graduates are needed. “The FAA is aiming to hire more than 2,000 air traffic controllers a year over the next five years,” says McCormick. “It’s a tremendous opportunity and a great career for young people to start thinking of now.”

But programs like Embry-Riddle’s aim to improve the success rate of applicants. Students complete all the steps to become air traffic controllers. They do this while they work on their undergraduate degree. They go through testing, medical and background checks, and training. They learn all the same things that the FAA Academy teaches. And they receive hands-on experience by using simulators. This allows them to direct virtual planes on radar screens. Plus they have more time to work one-on-one with teachers and get feedback.

Graduates of the program can go right to work. This helps to fill empty air traffic controller positions faster. Training for other technical careers also works like this. Electricians and carpenters are some examples. Students complete specialized education programs. Then they’re ready to get a job immediately (see “Job Training”). 

Last summer, four students completed Embry-Riddle’s air traffic controller training program. They were the first group of graduates. But more are needed. “The FAA is aiming to hire more than 2,000 air traffic controllers a year over the next five years,” says McCormick. “It’s a tremendous opportunity and a great career for young people to start thinking of now.”