Ahead of House Transportation Hearing, Government Watchdog Praises DOT for Addressing FAA Staffing Shortages

Arlington, Va. (March 3, 2025)—On Tuesday, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will hold a hearing to investigate the country’s aging air traffic control systems, as well as chronic staffing shortages at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The hearing follows an unusually turbulent start to 2025 with a series of aviation accidents, including the worst air travel disaster in decades just outside of Washington, D.C. 

Jackson Shedelbower, executive director of the Center for Transportation Policy, released the following statement:

“Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has hit the ground running to begin addressing weaknesses within the Federal Aviation Administration, notably implementing policies to boost the number of air traffic controllers. The quick action is refreshing after four years of government mismanagement under the Biden administration and its transportation chief, Pete Buttigieg. Next, the agency should provide Congress with an emergency funding plan to update the technology behind our aging air traffic control systems.”

Background:

• Years of government mismanagement has left the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operating with skeleton staff. Government data shows that over 90 percent of airport towers are operating below recommended staffing levels, leaving controllers overworked and fatigued. 

• Meanwhile, the systems being used are sorely out-of-date. A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds 51 of the nation’s 138 air traffic control systems are “unsustainable.” Some of them are over a half-century old. 

• On Thursday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a new plan to “supercharge” the hiring of air traffic controllers to address the decade-long staffing shortage. The measures include prioritizing merit-based selection at the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Academy, increasing starting salaries, and streamlining the hiring process. 

• Looking ahead, CTP urges Sec. Duffy to provide Congress with an emergency funding plan to update our nation’s air traffic control systems.