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Historical edition: The FAA published a newer Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan 2026–2028 (PDF) on May 15, 2026. For current hiring targets and strategic pillars, start with our FAA Controller Workforce Plan 2026–2028 guide. The summary below remains useful for the 2025–2028 PDF and figures cited in that document.

This page summarizes the FAA’s Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan 2025–2028 (PDF). It explains hiring targets, competition, ATSA requirements, hiring-process changes, and training bottlenecks. It is not a promise that any individual applicant will be selected.

Independent site notice: ATCPracticeTest.com is an independent preparation resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the FAA. Candidates should always verify current hiring requirements, application windows, and testing procedures through official FAA hiring sources and USAJOBS.

Introduction

The FAA publishes workforce planning documents to align controller hiring with retirements, training capacity, and operational staffing needs. For aspiring air traffic controllers, the 2025–2028 plan is one of the most useful official references for understanding how many people the FAA wants to hire, and why the hiring pipeline can still be difficult to complete.

The plan covers hiring history, targets through FY 2028, applicant volume, process redesign, Enhanced AT-CTI, and practical limits such as ATSA throughput, medical clearance, security screening, FAA Academy seats, and field training capacity.

FAA hiring targets through 2028

The workforce plan states that the FAA hired 1,811 new controllers in FY 2024, slightly above its 1,800 target. It also plans at least 8,900 new controller hires through FY 2028.

Annual hiring targets in the plan include:

Fiscal year New controller hires described in the workforce plan
FY 2024 1,811 actual hires
FY 2025 2,000 planned hires
FY 2026 2,200 planned hires
FY 2027 2,300 estimated hires
FY 2028 2,400 estimated hires

These are agency planning figures. Congress, appropriations, attrition, and training capacity can change outcomes. The 8,900 figure describes the FAA’s multi-year hiring target, not an applicant success rate or a guarantee that any individual applicant will be selected.

For budget-request context that uses slightly different FY 2025 wording, see our FAA FY 2027 controller hiring and training guide.

Why high hiring does not mean easy entry

Large hiring targets can sound encouraging. The workforce plan also shows why the process stays selective.

  • More than 16,450 applicants responded to FAA vacancy announcements in FY 2024.
  • Candidates still must pass aptitude testing, including the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) for most pathways.
  • Medical clearance, security screening, and other pre-employment steps still apply.
  • FAA Academy capacity, instructor availability, and field training capacity limit how many trainees move through the system each year.

High planned hiring is not the same as a high selection rate for any one applicant. Treat each announcement as competitive.

ATSA remains required for Enhanced AT-CTI graduates

The plan discusses Enhanced AT-CTI, or the Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative, as a way to strengthen the hiring pipeline. Some graduates may be able to begin facility training sooner in certain circumstances.

That does not remove core selection steps. The workforce plan states that Enhanced AT-CTI graduates still need to:

  • pass the ATSA;
  • be selected for employment by the FAA;
  • meet medical and security requirements.

Collegiate training can help some candidates prepare, but it is not a bypass around FAA assessment and clearance. See what the ATSA is and ATSA test prep for candidate-focused preparation context.

Pathway rules can differ by announcement. Read FAA ATC requirements and the specific USAJOBS posting before assuming CTI status changes your steps.

FAA hiring process update: from 8 steps to 5 steps

The workforce plan notes that the FAA updated the ATC hiring process in 2025, moving from a linear eight-step process to a continuous-flow five-step process.

The plan says this redesign may reduce time-to-hire by more than four months by allowing some steps to run in parallel rather than strictly one after another.

This site does not reproduce the official step names here because they can change on FAA hiring pages. Verify the current process on FAA air traffic controller hiring and our FAA hiring process guide, including the section on 2025 hiring process changes.

A faster process still requires strong performance at each stage, especially the ATSA and clearance steps.

FAA Academy and field training capacity

Even with higher hiring targets, training infrastructure remains a bottleneck. The workforce plan ties hiring limits to:

  • aptitude testing capacity, including ATSA and related screening;
  • medical clearance and security screening throughput;
  • FAA Academy capacity in Oklahoma City;
  • contract instructor availability;
  • field facility ability to absorb trainees for on-the-job training.

The plan also describes hiring new controllers on a timeline that often plans two to three years ahead of expected attrition. In other words, FAA staffing decisions are long-range workforce planning decisions, not just reactions to a single application cycle.

Learn what Academy training involves in our FAA Academy air traffic controller training guide, including Academy and field capacity limits.

What this means for air traffic controller applicants

Expect sustained hiring activity. The FAA is planning thousands of hires per year through FY 2028, which may support recurring vacancy announcements.

Expect sustained competition. Tens of thousands of applicants can respond when windows open. ATSA preparation still matters.

Expect process changes. The 2025 continuous-flow model may shorten timelines for some candidates, but only if they clear each requirement.

Expect training limits. Academy and field capacity mean that even selected candidates can wait for class dates or facility assignments.

Do not confuse workforce growth with easy entry. The plan projects staffing and attrition dynamics, including growth in certified controller headcount and substantial total attrition through 2028, but those macro trends do not guarantee individual outcomes.

For career orientation, start with how to become an air traffic controller and the U.S. pathway in the FAA hiring process. For broader staffing context, see our guide to the air traffic controller career guides.

Preparation resources

If you are comparing commercial catalogs while researching FAA hiring, treat them as optional—not authoritative.

You may skim: FEAST-style practice, NAV CANADA–oriented prep, and FEAST 2–oriented notes from JobTestPrep. Publisher: JobTestPrep.

Compare paid products using our guides: Best ATSA Practice Tests, JobTestPrep ATSA Review, SkyTest Review, and ATC Preparation Review. For ATSA-style interactive practice: ATC Preparation ATSA software. SkyTest® FEAST editions: European ATCO, UK & Ireland, and Germany, Austria & Switzerland.

Sources