Air traffic controllers. Photo: Shutterstock The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has hired 2,235 air traffic controller trainees during fiscal year 2026, setting a new annual record for the agency as it works to expand a workforce facing long-term staffing demands.
The FAA said the number exceeded its FY2026 hiring goal and represents the largest number of controller trainees hired in a single fiscal year in the agency's history.
The recruitment push received a significant boost from a campaign aimed at gamers, which attracted more than 12,000 qualified Americans to apply within 24 hours.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said reaching the hiring target was an important milestone, but added that the agency's recruitment and training efforts would continue.
“Meeting this year’s hiring goal is an important milestone, but it’s not the finish line,” Bedford said. He said the FAA remains focused on recruiting people into the profession while providing them with the training and tools needed to work in the National Airspace System.
The hiring figures form part of a broader effort by the Department of Transportation to bring at least 8,900 new air traffic controller trainees into the workforce through 2028.
Training capacity has also been expanded at the FAA Academy. The agency said June saw the highest number of air traffic academy students in its history, while more than 1,300 trainees had graduated from the academy during the fiscal year.
The FAA's Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan for 2026 through 2028 calls for at least 2,300 new controller trainees to be hired in fiscal year 2027, followed by another 2,400 in FY2028.
The agency is also working to expand its recruitment pipeline through partnerships with colleges, universities and technical schools. It says changes to hiring and training are intended to increase the number of candidates entering the profession and expand the capacity to train them.
The recruitment drive comes as air traffic controllers remain responsible for managing aircraft movements across one of the world's largest and busiest aviation systems. The FAA is also investing in new technology and measures aimed at making better use of its existing workforce.