FAA Seeks to Recruit Contracted ATCs to Its Ranks

Agency’s latest action to address a long-standing shortage would tap into a pool of privately managed air traffic controllers.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 02:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

FAA pilot program seeks to convert two federal contract towers to agency-owned facilities. [Credit: iStock/JasonDoiy]

Key Takeaways:

To address a chronic national shortage of air traffic controllers (ATCs), the FAA is launching a pilot program to convert privately managed federal contract towers (FCTs) into directly overseen federal facilities.
This initiative aims to integrate FCT controllers into the FAA workforce, standardize their training, and allow for potential relocation to strengthen the overall ATC pipeline.
The move comes amid a revised, controversial FAA staffing model and follows various prior hiring and retention strategies that have not fully resolved the agency's controller shortfalls.
Starting with two high-activity FCTs, the FAA will conduct a safety analysis before deciding whether to expand the program, which is authorized by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.

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In its latest move to combat a longstanding shortfall of air traffic controllers (ATCs), the FAA will look to swell its ranks by dipping into a pool of privately managed controllers.

The agency on Monday said it will launch a pilot program to take ownership of federal contract towers (FCTs)—ATC facilities that follow FAA qualification and training requirements but are operated by non-agency personnel. The converted towers would be placed under direct FAA oversight, and their controllers would receive standardized training that allows them to either remain at their facility or be relocated to one of the agency’s approximately 300 other sites.