Air Traffic Control Crisis: Overworked and Understaffed

Nationwide shortage leads to increased mistakes and health issues among controllers, with little improvement expected despite FAA's hiring efforts.

A nationwide staffing shortage of air traffic controllers has resulted in an overworked and demoralized workforce, leading to an increase in dangerous mistakes.
In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, there were 503 air traffic control lapses that the FAA preliminarily categorized as “significant,” 65% more than in the prior year.
The combination of six-day workweeks and round-the-clock schedules has caused controllers to develop physical and mental health problems. Many avoid seeking professional help because doing so might jeopardize the medical clearances they need to work.
The FAA estimated that more than 1,400 controllers — or about 10% of the total workforce — would depart this fiscal year.
Despite the FAA seeking $117 million to train controllers and hire 1,800 new ones, the FAA’s hiring plan is expected to have “a negligible improvement over today’s understaffed levels,” with a net increase of fewer than 200 controllers by 2032.