Latest news with #AirTrafficSkillsAssessment
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Biden admin scrapped ‘best-qualified' standard for air traffic controller academy, docs show
The Biden administration quietly eliminated the top testing threshold for the highest-performing applicants seeking to become air traffic controllers, an internal slide seen by The Post confirms. In 2023, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials scrapped the previous 'best qualified' tier for candidates who scored 85% or above on the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) exam in favor of a 'well qualified' threshold for applicants who scored at least 80%. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed the change to The Post's Miranda Devine on the latest episode of 'Pod Force One,' out now. 'They lowered the standard from 85% to 80% to be best qualified … to get these young people into the academy,' Duffy said, referring to the FAA training school in Oklahoma City. 4 An internal slide shows that the Biden administration approved the ATSA tier change by late 2023. FAA 'What happened was, they had a substantial washout rate, 30%-plus,' Duffy went on, 'because they couldn't do the work.' Since the Trump administration took office, Duffy claimed, 'we're getting the best scores in the academy first.' 'In two months after you take the entrance exam, we're getting you into the academy. And what we're doing is, if you're at 98% on that test [or] 94 [%], you are going to take the top slots as slots become available.' Once air traffic control candidates graduate from the academy, Duffy said, 'it takes them, depending on where they're at, if they're in a not-so-busy airspace, they can be certified in a year.' 4 Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy knocked his predecessor for changes made to ATSA tiers. Ron Sachs – CNP for NY Post Under Duffy's watch, the FAA has instituted a revised version of the prior ATSA grading system Applicants are now separated into four tiers: 'Best-qualified' for scores of 90% or more, 'well-qualified' for scores between 85% and 89%, 'qualified' for scores between 70% and 84%, and 'not referred' for scores under 70%. The Biden administration's adjusted standards considered applicants 'well-qualified' for scores of 80% and above, 'qualified' for scores between 70% and 79.9%, and 'not referred' for scores under 70%. 4 Pete Buttigieg has stressed that the standards to become an air traffic controller have not changed. Getty Images A spokesperson for former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg underscored that overall standards to become certified as an air traffic controller did not change while he was in office. 'Whether you call them 'qualified' or 'best-qualified' or 'well-qualified,' there is still a minimum standard of qualification, and that line hasn't changed,' the spokesperson said. 'And that test hasn't changed.' 'To be abundantly clear: we did not change the rigorous standard for becoming a certified air traffic controller,' Buttigieg wrote on X on Feb. 2. 'Those claiming otherwise are mistaken or lying. We did increase funding & training, and grew the ATC workforce after years of declining numbers, including under Trump.' Duffy also contended that the Biden administration's system took so long to sift through applicants that 'if … you take the test, you pass it, you got an 82%, it might take you two years to get your seat in the academy. 'Well, if you're 22 years old, you're gonna go find a different job. You're not gonna stick around.' 4 Officials are working to address a workforce shortage of air traffic controllers that has vexed airports across the country. Federal Aviation Administration Since the Jan. 29 mid-air collision over Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people aboard a regional jet and a Black Hawk helicopter, the Department of Transportation has been scrambling to address a workforce shortage of air traffic controllers. More than 2,000 air traffic controllers are expected to join the FAA this year as part of the agency's workforce plan, with 8,900 projected to be hired by the end of 2028.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
DOT chief Sean Duffy charges predecessor Pete Buttgieig lowered standards for air traffic controllers in bombshell claim during ‘Pod Force One' appearance
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy charged on the latest episode of 'Pod Force One' that his predecessor, Pete Buttigieg, lowered the requirements to be considered a 'well-qualified' air traffic control candidate, leading to spiking dropout rates at the Federal Aviation Administration Academy in Oklahoma City. Officially, candidates who score above 85% on the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) exam are considered 'well-qualified' — or 'best-qualified' with a score of 90% or higher — and prime choices to be FAA-certified controllers. However, under Buttigieg, Duffy told The Post's Miranda Devine, 'they lowered the standard from 85% to 80% to be best qualified … to get these young people into the academy. Advertisement 4 Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told 'Pod Force One' that his predecessor Pete Buttigieg lowered the requirements for air traffic controllers. Ron Sachs – CNP for NY Post Every week, Post columnist Miranda Devine sits down for exclusive and candid conversations with the most influential disruptors in Washington. Subscribe here! 'Well, what happened was, they had a substantial washout rate, 30%-plus,' Duffy went on, 'because they couldn't do the work.' Advertisement 'And then it took so long, if they go — if, Miranda, you take the test, you pass it, you got an 82%, it might take you two years to get your seat in the academy,' the secretary continued. 'Well, if you're 22 years old, you're gonna go find a different job. You're not gonna stick around.' A spokesperson for Buttigieg told The Post on Tuesday when asked for comment on Duffy's claims: 'If he had any proof to back up what he said, it seems like they'd provide it.' 4 Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy knocked his predecessor over air traffic controller training standards. Ron Sachs – CNP for NY Post Buttigieg himself has also vehemently denied lowering the standards to become a certified air traffic controller. Advertisement 'To be abundantly clear: we did not change the rigorous standard for becoming a certified air traffic controller,' Buttigieg wrote on X on Feb. 2. 'Those claiming otherwise are mistaken or lying. We did increase funding & training, and grew the ATC workforce after years of declining numbers, including under Trump.' Reps for the FAA and Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 4 Buttigieg has denied lowering the 'rigorous' standards for becoming an air traffic controller. Denver Post via Getty Images Advertisement Duffy acknowledged to Devine that while the ATSA exam is 'the best indicator' known for determining who may be up for the job of directing the nation's air traffic, 'they haven't really figured out the best test to do this.' 'It's a tough job,' the DOT chief said. 'And by the way, it's really hard to figure out who's going to be good at it. You could get a baker and a candlestick maker that are great at it, and someone else with a math degree that just doesn't figure it out.' Earlier this year, Duffy moved to aggressively ramp up recruitment of air traffic controllers to address workforce shortages that have dogged the agency for nearly three decades. 4 Sean Duffy is hoping to significantly expand the workforce of air traffic controllers, who tend to have a high burnout rate. Ron Sachs – CNP for NY Post The issue made national headlines after 67 people were killed Jan. 29 in a midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a regional jet over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Full episode Advertisement 'We're getting kids, young people, into the academy much faster,' Duffy said. 'So in two months after you take the entrance exam, we're getting you into the academy. And what we're doing is, if you're at 98% on that test [or] 94 [%], you are going to take the top slots as slots become available. So we're getting the best scores in the academy first. And what we've done with that is we've lowered the washout rate, which means we can get more young people into towers.' The secretary added that academy graduates could be fully certified in as little as one year 'if they're in a not-so-busy airspace,' and stressed that 'it's going to take us time to see the fruits of our hard labor right now, but we're well on our way to filling the gaps in air traffic control.' The FAA has said that its goal is to hire 8,900 new air traffic controllers by the end of 2028.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
19-year-old MSU graduate pursuing career as air traffic controller
DENVER (KDVR) — Graduating from college is a massive accomplishment and a stepping stone in the lives of young academics everywhere. In most cases, it is usually one of the first steps for 20-somethings in starting their careers and entering a new stage of independence, but for one graduate from Metropolitan State University of Denver, that day came when she was only 19, a year removed from when her peers would be graduating from high school. Actor on 'Ted Lasso' reacts to the Denver Broncos in London For Adelaide Britton, her path to quick graduation and the pursuit of her ideal career was the one she had always dreamt about. While she endured the pressure of college swimmingly, she faces a new form of pressure and begins her life in a field that has come under heavy scrutiny lately. Britton is on the path to become an air traffic controller. To get a head start on her plans, she leaned heavily into concurrent enrollment classes while she was in high school, which allowed her to build up an arsenal of credits that she used to transfer to MSU upon graduation. To fast-track her progress even further, Britton said she attended summer school and had a semester where she took 18 credit hours, all while working two jobs at Urban Outfitters and a restaurant near Union Station. That type of workload would put most people in a rut, but she said that because all of her classes revolved around aviation, none of the homework felt like homework. It was just her immersing herself into something she was really interested in. Her interest piqued when she was a junior in high school and had to research a career. Her mother suggested that she look into air traffic control, and from that moment, Britton has never looked back. She recently applied for an air traffic controller position in the spring and received a 'Well Qualified' result on the Air Traffic Skills Assessment, and in return, received a tentative offer letter from the Air Traffic Organization. From here, the next step would be to enter the Federal Aviation Administration's training academy. All of that work sounds rigorous, but the biggest challenge may be after her hiring, as the air traffic control field is enduring plenty of issues and criticism. High-profile aviation crashes have thrust the issues into the eyes of the public, and according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there is a shortage of air traffic controllers amid a natural decline in the position and a large number of layoffs. The department is working on rapidly increasing the population of the workforce and upgrading outdated technology used by air traffic controllers to bring it to a more modern standard. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Air Traffic Controllers Association are offering limited-time incentives for hiring, including: $5,000 award for academy graduates who successfully completed the initial qualification training $5,000 award for new hires who successfully complete the initial qualification training $10,000 award for academy graduates who are assigned to one of 13 hard-to-staff air traffic facilities Certified professional controllers eligible to retire but under the mandatory retirement age (56) will receive a lump sum payment of 20% of their basic pay for each year they continue to work Is it legal to put furniture on the curb for people to pick up in Denver? Britton is facing another challenging obstacle in her journey, but with a steady head on her shoulders, she offers advice to any students following a similar path. 'It's not for everyone,' said Britton on the MSU website. 'Know yourself. Follow the best course of action for you.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
06-05-2025
- Newsweek
Retired Air Traffic Controller Reveals If He'd Fly Out of Newark Airport
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A retired air traffic controller said it's safe to fly out of Newark Liberty International Airport but stressed that building a larger workforce is the bigger challenge. Why It Matters Newark Airport, under the auspices of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has made national headlines over the past week because of drastic increases in flight delays and cancellations for reasons including staffing shortages and inclement weather. What To Know Retired Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic controller Harvey Scolnick told CNN This Morning anchor Audie Cornish on Tuesday that he has "no problem whatsoever" flying out of Newark, calling the airspace "safe." "I still think they have a staffing problem," Scolnick said. "They're talking about hiring 2,000 controllers next year. They may have to hire double that, or maybe 5,000. That is the issue. "Controllers want time off. It's difficult to get time off. They're working mandatory six-day weeks. The fact that controllers are now required to have extra time off in between shifts makes it more difficult to swap. I honestly think that controllers are overworked and don't see any light at the end of the tunnel." People wait in line for a delayed flight at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 5, 2025, in Newark, New Jersey. People wait in line for a delayed flight at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 5, 2025, in Newark, New federal government is being more aggressive in "supercharging" air traffic controller hires to boost the airspace and, in turn, bolstering safety while reducing disrupted flights. That has included a multi-faceted campaign set forth by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the FAA to provide potential new air traffic controller hires with higher base salaries and swifter hiring times. The government's plan includes hiring at least 2,000 controllers this year, which they say can be accomplished by streamlining the hiring process from its former routine eight-step process to a five-step process—which the FAA said has already shaved five months off wait times and allowed more than 8,300 candidates to take the aptitude exam, or Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA). The approximate median annual wage for air traffic control specialists is $127,805, according to FAA data. Salaries for entry-level air traffic control specialists increase as they complete each new training phase. An agreement between the FAA and National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) also provides incentives for potential applicants, including a $5,000 reward for new hires who successfully complete the initial qualification training and a $10,000 award for Academy graduates who are assigned to one of 13 hard-to-staff air traffic facilities. Scolnick acknowledged that being an air traffic controller is "a high-pressure job" that requires quick decisions and adjustments in the heat of the moment. The situation involving Newark is not necessarily a surprise, he added. "Now, these controllers at Newark, many of them are unhappy to begin with," he said. "They were, about a year ago, working at a facility in Westbury, Long Island, and suddenly they found themselves working at a facility at the Philadelphia airport. So, they're not too happy to begin with because they've had to relocate. "In addition, they are short-staffed. And that seems to be the problem at the FAA right now. The FAA for years, as I can recall, in the busier facilities, has always operated short of the required number of fully certified controllers that were programmed for those facilities." What People Are Saying An NATCA spokesperson told Newsweek: "The dedicated, American, hard-working employees who serve as controllers are the foundation of our air traffic control system. These controllers and the thousands of other aviation safety professionals represented by NATCA ensure the safe and efficient movement of millions of passengers and tons of cargo through our dynamic airspace every day. These professionals ensure the safe movement of aircraft through the National Airspace System as a primary goal." An FAA spokesperson told Newsweek: "Our antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce. We must get the best safety technology in the hands of controllers as soon as possible. We are working to ensure the current telecommunications equipment is more reliable in the New York area by establishing a more resilient and redundant configuration with the local exchange carriers. In addition, we are updating our automation system to improve resiliency." What Happens Next Air travelers hoping for a reprieve on Tuesday at Newark were disappointed. As of 12:15 p.m. ET, 194 flights into or out of Newark had been delayed and 100 had been canceled, according to flight tracker FlightAware.
Forbes
05-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Slot Control At Newark Airport May Not Fix United Airlines' Woes
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 17: A United Airlines plane lands at Newark Liberty International ... More Airport in front of the New York skyline on September 17, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by) United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has called on the FAA to categorize Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey as a slot-controlled Level 3 airport to address the air traffic controller shortage, which has led to hundreds of delayed and canceled flights. Kirby wrote in an open letter to United Airlines' customers on Friday that 'the long simmering FAA challenges boiled over this week.' Travel chaos ensued due to a combination of system outages and 20% of Newark's air traffic controllers walking out. Kirby described air traffic control at Newark as 'chronically understaffed for years.' The Federal Aviation Administration has forecasted 'many days in the coming months with more than 50,000 total flights in the sky.' While weather still accounts for the largest share (59.9%) of air traffic disruption, the Administration has recognized the impact of the national air traffic controller shortage and systems outages. It is working to resolve both. The FAA recently implemented a supercharge program to boost air traffic controller recruitment and retention. The program simplifies the hiring process from eight steps to five and offers higher salaries and other incentives to new recruits and existing controllers. The FAA aims to hire at least 2,000 new controllers this year. During a recent hiring push, the Administration reported over 8,320 candidates qualified to take the Air Traffic Skills Assessment aptitude test, and thousands passed the test to move on to the next hiring phase. Following its Summer Air Traffic Operational Summit this April , the FAA also said it is addressing the technical issues impacting National Air Space management, especially in the Northeast. Despite these efforts, air traffic control issues at Newark Airport continued to plague flights through the weekend, with some prolonged delays leading to cancellations that left thousands of passengers stranded. As Scott Kirby wrote, 'It's now clear – and the FAA tells us – that Newark airport cannot handle the number of planes that are scheduled to operate there in the weeks and months ahead.' Kirby emphasized that United would do 'absolutely everything in our power to minimize the impact that this will have on customers.' That includes canceling 35 roundtrip daily flights at the airport. 'It's disappointing to make further cuts to an already reduced schedule at Newark, but since there is no way to resolve the near-term structural FAA staffing issues, we feel like there is no other choice in order to protect our customers,' Kirby wrote. He also noted that United has urged the U.S. government to limit flights at Newark 'for years.' Currently, only John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are classified as Level 3 airports. Implementing Level 3 slot controls at Newark Airport would mean that airlines would have a 'use it or lose it' right to operate flights, requiring a minimum of 80% service to retain the slot. Airlines have successfully applied for exemptions to the application of these rules following the decline in air travel demand during the COVID-19 recovery. However, slot controls alone may not fix United's problems. According to data from aviation analytics company Cirium, Newark is United Airlines's fourth busiest domestic hub. The airline is also the dominant operator at Newark by a broad margin, operating over 10,000 of the 15,000 flights scheduled to take off from Newark this month. United Airlines' 35 daily flight reduction may not sufficiently relieve airspace management around the airport. Even if the FAA implemented slot controls, there is no guarantee that enough of the other airlines operating there might lose underused slots and free up enough room for United. United Airlines is said to be seeking an alternate gateway to New York through JFK, an airport it abandoned in 2022 after failing to acquire sufficient slots to make service viable. The airline is now reported to be negotiating a partnership with JetBlue to offer flights to JFK. However, the tenuous proposal has already garnered objections from JetBlue's pilot union, which says it would violate a job protection provision in their existing contract. Reuters reported that the JetBlue Air Line Pilots Association has contacted attorneys to challenge the possibility of a future partnership. JetBlue is currently negotiating a new contract with its pilots.
