We Guide You Home

Home

Discover NATCA

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 nearly 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.

Video Channel

Check out our most recent videos:

Benefits

NATCA Exclusive 2025 Retirement Briefings: Start Your Path to Financial Freedom!

Get ready to take charge of your retirement in 2025 with NATCA’s exclusive, members-only retirement briefings! In partnership with 4 Square Financial Literacy Partners, Inc., NATCA is excited to bring you expert insights and planning tailored just for you. These workshops are designed to guide you through federal benefits, retirement options, and how each choice…

Read More

Shield What Matters Most with Unum: A NATCA-Exclusive Benefit

“I highly recommend adding Unum to your rainy-day portfolio. It is truly a wise investment in yourself!” said NATCA member J. Grimes. After a medical crisis you can lose out on overtime and differentials, but Unum long term disability insurance provides critical financial support. Open enrollment is only available for a limited time, so take…

Read More

Events

Registration for NATCA’s 20th Biennial Convention is Now Open

Registration for NATCA’s 20th Biennial Convention is open. Register today and plan to be at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco from May 9-11, 2025, with the opening ceremony taking place on the evening of May 8. Early registrants will get the best prices on all Convention events. Please do not register NATCA members as…

Read More

Spotlight

Get To Know NATCA’s National Legislative Committee Chair David Skarphol

Relationship building is at the core of NATCA’s legislative activism. Earlier this year David Skarphol (Phoenix TRACON, P50) stepped up as the chair of NATCA’s National Legislative Committee (NLC), leading the team that coordinates and facilitates NATCA members’ legislative training and relationships with members of Congress. Today we take a moment to introduce Skarphol and…

Read More

Aviation Facts

Fact: The United States aviation system is an economic driver, contributing 5.2 percent to the nation’s gross domestic product, and generating nearly 11 million jobs.

5,400

Aircraft in the sky at peak operational times

44,500,000,000

Pounds of freight moving through the National Airspace System each year

Current Traffic

Tracking 10,677 airborne aircraft with 636,859,278 total flights in the database. FlightAware has tracked 113,709 arrivals in the last 24 hours.

Aviation Acronyms

Learn acronyms used by safety professionals nationwide:

All A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U V W
There are 20 acronyms in this directory beginning with the letter H.
Term
Definition
H
Non-- Directional Radio Homing Beacon (NDB)
HAA
Height Above Airport
HAL
Height Above Landing
HARS
High Altitude Route System
HAT
Height Above Touchdown
HAZMAT
Hazardous Material
HCAP
High Capacity Carriers
HDME
NDB with Distance Measuring Equipment
HDQ
FAA Headquarters
HELI
Heliport
HF
High Frequency
HH
NDB, 2kw or More
HI-- EFAS
High Altitude EFAS
HLDC
High Level Data Link Control
HOV
High Occupancy Vehicle
HPZ
Heliport Protection Zone
HSI
Horizontal Situation Indicators
HUD
Housing and Urban Development
HWAS
Hazardous In-- Flight Weather Advisory
Hz
HERTZ

Our Media is Social

Jump to top of page