10 U.S. Schools Now Let ATC Candidates Skip FAA Academy

Sacramento City College becomes the 10th American institution to join the agency’s Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (E-CTI).

Jack Daleo

Friday, January 23, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET

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Jack Daleo

Air traffic management student Hailee Williamson trains in the tower lab at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, one of 10 Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (E-CTI) schools. [Credit: Embry‑Riddle/Bill Fredette-Huffman]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is actively combatting a chronic shortage of approximately 3,000 air traffic controllers, which has resulted in over 90 percent of facilities being understaffed and causing operational disruptions.
A primary strategy to increase controller capacity is the expansion of the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (E-CTI), with Sacramento City College becoming the 10th school to offer the accelerated program that sends graduates directly to FAA facilities for training.
In addition to E-CTI, the FAA is implementing various initiatives including increased starting salaries, hiring and retention bonuses, streamlining the hiring process, recruiting from military and private sectors, and modernizing training and infrastructure systems.

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The FAA is expanding its capacity to train air traffic controllers (ATCs) as it contends with a chronic shortage of about 3,000 certified professional controllers (CPCs).

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday announced Sacramento City College in California as the 10th member of the FAA’s Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (E-CTI). The E-CTI provides the exact same curriculum and technology as the FAA’s ATC Academy in Oklahoma City.