Air traffic controller shortage drives new Enhanced AT-CTI training

Eastman, GA – A nationwide one Lack of air traffic controllers has brought new attention to a growing training option that the FAA is now approving for certain colleges.

The youngest covenant Government shutdown highlighted how short staffing has become, particularly as delays and diversions have occurred across the country.

The FAA plans to hire at least 8,900 new air traffic controllers by 2028. According to FAA workforce data analyzed by USAFacts, about 3,000 air traffic controller positions were unfilled nationwide at the end of 2024 – though not every facility is equally understaffed.

That shortage is spurring interest in a newer, FAA-approved college degree program designed to streamline controller training at a small group of universities — including Middle Georgia State.

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The Enhanced AT-CTI program allows students to train to the same standard as the REA Academyand if they are hired and meet FAA requirements such as passing the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) and medical and security clearances, they can go directly to a facility instead of completing the entire academy in Oklahoma City, which can involve long waiting lists and courses lasting several months.

Graduates continue to complete facility-specific training and must be certified on the job before they can become full-fledged controllers.

Only about nine schools nationwide have been approved to offer the new Enhanced AT-CTI program starting in 2025, according to Kemarie Jeffers, department head of aviation science and management at Middle Georgia State.

In the tower simulator at Middle Georgia State, air traffic control student Brooke Graffagnino says the intensity of the job attracted her. sometimes it’s violent,“she said.

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She says students quickly find out whether they are suitable for the job. “You can kind of tell who doesn’t [love it]. There were some, and they are no longer here. It takes a lot to get through it,” she said.

Graffagnino says the importance of the work became clearer when she learned how air traffic controllers keep busy airspace organized. “As soon as you get into airspace that is very crowded or approaching it larger airports like Atlanta“You need someone to help coordinate and keep everything separate and safe,” she said.

Middle Georgia State was approved as an Enhanced AT-CTI school in mid-2024. Jeffers says the impact was immediate.

“Before, our program had about 17 to 20 students. Right now there are 54. So we have already almost tripled the number of students in this short period of time,” he said.

To receive the expanded award, Jeffers said the school had to update its curriculum, revamp parts of its simulator setup and install new audio and video systems.

“We upgraded a lot of our equipment… we had to install audio and video equipment at the top of our tower simulation,” he said.

These upgrades enable the FAA for remote verification or review on-site training and ensure it meets federal standards.

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The program’s biggest difference is what happens after graduation. “Improved CTI eliminates the need to attend an academy. You graduate here and can start working right away,” Jeffers said. “This saves you time and effort – and in turn, you can work earlier and earn money faster.”

The FAA requires expanded programs to employ instructors with air traffic controller experience and maintain simulator equipment that meets FAA standards.

As students progress, the simulations become more complex, requiring trainees to control more aircraft at the same time.

“As we feel more comfortable and safer, we can allow more aircraft into the airspace at the same time,” Graffagnino said.

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Before completing the program, each student must pass a capstone simulation that mirrors the FAA Academy assessment process.

“Our instructors will then run through a scenario and they will be graded … in exactly the same way they are graded at the academy,” Jeffers said.

According to the FAA’s fiscal year 2025 air traffic controller workforce plan, the agency expects approximately 2,000 new hires in fiscal year 2025, 2,200 in fiscal year 2026 and incremental increases through 2028, with retirements expected to offset much of that growth.