Secretary of Transportation visits OKC, rolls out plan to recruit air traffic controllers

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took a tour of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Academy at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center. During his time in Oklahoma City, Duffy met with students and Federal Aviation Administration officials, discussing the goals and challenges of air traffic controllers. 

“We want those smart kids out there who are making career decisions to consider coming here to Oklahoma City,” said Duffy.

Problems in the airline industry 

NTSB data shows that in the first two months of 2025, there have been 117 aviation accidents. Out of that total, 16 of those were fatal. 

“There has been a unique interest in aviation and aviation safety after multiple incidents in the US in the course of the last 3 months,” said Duffy. 

New plan to recruit and retain air traffic controllers

Duffy says his new plan aligns with President Trump’s priorities for keeping Americans safe in aviation.

The plan has three parts:

1. Recruiting the “best and brightest” through a merit-based application process. Candidates that receive the highest score of “Well Qualified” on their Air Traffic Skills Assessment Test (ATSA) will be given priority for the Academy. “We want to take the top-scoring students and fast-track them into the first seats that are available at the academy,” said Duffy. “We’re also gonna pay people more.”
2. Increase starting salaries by 30% for candidates who go to the Academy. The average certified professional controller makes over $160,000 per year.
3. Streamline hiring to improve efficiency by changing the current 8-step hiring process at the FAA to a 5-step process.

On average, Duffy says it takes 12 months to apply and be accepted, but it can take some candidates up to two years to be accepted. They hope to cut that timeline by at least four months to ensure applicants do not look for other job opportunities in the downtime.

Federal price tag for updating “old systems” 

Duffy says he, the FAA, and the Department of Defense have plans to request $1 billion to update what he calls outdated systems. 

“We have to upgrade all aspects of how our controllers interface with technology.”

Even though the Trump Administration is pushing to eliminate government spending due to DOGE, the Secretary says aviation safety must be a top priority.

Timeline for a new plan

“Time is of the essence,” said Duffy. 

While there’s no definitive timeline for this rollout, Duffy says it must happen quickly.

“Because if we wait, it will never happen, and I don't want to see people lose their lives because we have an air traffic control system that fails,” said Duffy.

What does it take to become an air traffic controller? 

There are strict requirements for applicants looking to become an air traffic controller. All applicants go through a 5-step process and must meet the following guidelines: 

1. Be a U.S. citizen
2. Speak English fluently and clearly
3. Be younger than 31 years old before the closing date of the application period
4. Have either one year of full-time work experience or one year of higher education, or a combination of both
5. Be physically and mentally fit and meet standards for vision, hearing, cardiovascular, neurological, and psychiatric health

“We do want the best and the brightest; these are hard jobs,” said Duffy.

Applications are open now to become an air traffic controller and will be open until Monday, March 17.