FAA grows list of schools offering enhanced ATC training
Ninth participating school announced
The FAA’s enhanced collegiate air traffic control program, which offers students the opportunity to go straight to an FAA facility for training after graduating, has grown to nine schools in its first year.
The Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) was launched in October 2024 when the University of Oklahoma and Tulsa Community College became the first two schools to participate.
After passing the Air Traffic Skills Assessment exam, graduates of participating programs can immediately begin training as an air traffic controller, skipping the traditional AT-CTI pathway of needing to complete additional training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City.
When it launched, then-FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker said the program is “an important part” of the effort “to reverse the decades-long decline in our workforce.”
“The safety of the National Airspace System is our number one priority, and the Enhanced AT-CTI program will help build the next generation of air traffic controllers,” said FAA Administration Bryan Bedford.
“We’re taking aggressive action at the FAA to recruit the best and brightest into our controller workforce by making the training process more efficient than ever,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Hiring additional controllers has become a key element of the larger air traffic control modernization effort that started after the midair collision in Washington, D.C., in January between a regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter.
After the latest ATC job posting earlier this year, the FAA received 10,000 applications. In August, the FAA reported that more than 600 students are training at the FAA Academy—the highest number in FAA history.
At the same time, the ATC modernization effort will soon take a step forward with the FAA preparing to review applications from companies applying to be the integrator that will be responsible for replacing outdated equipment and technology at facilities as part of the $12.5 billion “down payment” that Congress approved in July.
Companies wanting to lead that effort have until September 21 to submit applications. The FAA expects to select the winning bidder around the end of October.
AOPA is a member of the Modern Skies Coalition—comprising more than 50 aviation and aerospace organizations—that is advocating for modernization efforts to update the nation’s ATC system including the overhaul of telecommunication and radar systems, ATC facilities, controller staffing, and training in addition to other improvements.
