NATCA, FAA REACH AGREEMENT ON INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO IMPROVE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) have reached an agreement designed to enhance the recruitment of prospective air traffic controllers and strengthen the retention of experienced professionals within the field.

Highlights of the agreement include:

• Recognizing new students who successfully complete their training at the Academy with a graduation bonus;
• Encouraging new graduates to begin their in-facility training at hard-to-staff or high-cost-of-living areas with bonuses; and
• Offering bonuses of 20 percent of basic pay to certified professional controllers who are eligible for retirement, but who remain on the job, for each year they stay.

“This new recruitment award and retention incentive program is a meaningful step toward addressing the ongoing staffing shortages in air traffic control across the National Airspace System,” said NATCA President Nick Daniels. “We thank Secretary Duffy for his commitment to recruiting and retaining the best and brightest in the air traffic control profession and look forward to working with the Department of Transportation and the FAA on controller staffing, safety improvements, and the modernization of air traffic control systems and improvements to facility infrastructure.”

Daniels continued, “Addressing air traffic controller staffing is just one of the critical issues facing the air traffic control system. The National Airspace System is also long overdue for technology and infrastructure upgrades. The nation’s air traffic controllers, other aviation safety professionals, and all participating in the United States aviation system deserve the world’s best air traffic control system. Secretary Duffy has made it clear that addressing these chronic, long-term issues is a top priority. NATCA is eager to work with the Secretary, the Department of Transportation, the FAA, Congress, and all other industry stakeholders to address these challenges.”

MORE INFORMATION:
Galen Munroe, Deputy Director of Public Affairs; 202-220-9802, [email protected].

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) is a labor union and aviation safety organization in the United States that represents nearly 20,000 highly skilled air traffic controllers, engineers, and other aviation safety-related professionals. NATCA was certified in 1987 by the Federal Labor Relations Authority to be the exclusive bargaining representative for air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Today, NATCA is one of the strongest labor unions in the federal sector and represents a range of aviation safety professionals in 15 FAA bargaining units, five Department of Defense air traffic facilities, and 123 federal contract towers. These air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals make vital contributions to the U.S. economy and make modern life possible by coordinating the safe, orderly, and expeditious movement of one billion aviation passengers and millions of tons of freight within the National Airspace System each year. NATCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO.