Duffy Will Allow Air Traffic Controllers to Work Past 56

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he will use authority to grant exemptions for the mandatory air traffic controller retirement age.

Zach Vasile

Monday, May 12, 2025 at 10:47 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An air traffic control tower in San Francisco [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will use his authority to allow air traffic controllers (ATCs) to continue working until age 61, past the mandatory retirement age of 56, by issuing waivers.
This move addresses severe strains on the national ATC system, highlighted by recent equipment outages, reduced operations, and critical understaffing at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Duffy is leading a comprehensive overhaul of the ATC system, focusing on ramping up hiring to fill a 3,000-person staffing gap and implementing a sweeping modernization of infrastructure.
He acknowledges that these systemic problems are complex and will require considerable time to resolve, with no immediate quick fixes.

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he will use authority given to him by Congress to allow air traffic controllers to continue working past the current mandatory retirement age of 56.

In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Duffy told host Kristen Welker that he has the power to issue exemptions to air traffic controllers (ATCs) that permit them to continue working until they turn 61. When Welker asked Duffy if he would use that power, he said he plans to.