Numerous studies have suggested an increase to health risks and stress levels associated with the age of air traffic controllers.
The cumulative stress of the job has resulted in controller “burn out” thus increasing risk and lost proficiency with age, thereby increasing risks to the safety of flight.
Studies have shown a close correlation between ages, years of experience and emotional, mental, and
physical exhaustion. Researchers have consistently found a negative relationship between the age of air traffic controllers and both training success and rating of job performance. Many studies have shown age- related decline in cognitive abilities that are most important to performance as an air traffic controller. The staffing crisis the FAA is experiencing has been predicted by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association for decades. Age waivers are not the safe solution. The FAA must hire and train hundreds of new controllers with a steady stream of newly trained controllers replacing the retiring controllers. This is critical to ensuring the system capacity can grow and meet the safety needs of our nation’s air traffic control system.
The risks of stress levels, potential health problems, and declining cognitive abilities are the same today that led Congress to set retirement mandates for controllers over thirty (30) years ago. Air traffic projections and FAA goals, however, are more demanding than ever. Now is not the time to jeopardize the most productive, efficient system in the world with short-term, dangerous solutions. We acknowledge the temptation of keeping controllers beyond current retirement ages but we decry this as a solution. While we admire the capable workforce that makes today’s system a global standard of excellence, we must now make investments for tomorrow. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association does not support waivers to the age 56 Law. NATCA shall pursue legislation to change our mandatory retirement age from 56 to 57.

Rationale: After Vision-100, air traffic controllers are eligible for enhanced retirement calculations when meeting the minimum retirement age (MRA) and have 30 or more years of Federal Service. This is an extremely beneficial calculation for everyone elgible which cannot be achieved without an extension or moving positions. Most of the current bargaining unit members MRA is 57. Air traffic controllers are the only outlier within the special FERS retirement category that still has a mandatory retirement age of 56. All other occupations, which include federal law enforcement officers, firefighters and military technicians are at age 57. This is a change of only one year but will have massive benefits for all.

This was not voted on