Congresswoman Dina Titus today sent a letter to House leadership urging them to include funding in Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations to hire and train air traffic controllers to address current shortages.

“On January 29, 2025, American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) collided with a UH-60 Army helicopter while on final approach to DCA, resulting in both aircraft crashing into the Potomac River. The collision resulted in the tragic loss of 67 lives. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the collision. As the NTSB continues its thorough investigation, the recent tragic crash demonstrates the need to constantly seek improvement in the aviation system. One broad long-standing aviation safety issue that warrants immediate Congressional attention is the air traffic controller shortage,” Congresswoman Titus said in the letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The congresswoman noted that a 2023 study showed that only 70 percent of the nation’s air traffic control towers were fully staffed. “Understaffed air traffic facilities and a strained workforce can lead to significant safety issues for passengers and flight crews,” she said. “This is particularly concerning given that separate analysis from the Collaborative Resource Working Group (CRWG) has found that FAA’s finance-driven model consistently underestimates the number of fully certified air traffic controllers needed.”

On February 27, 2025, U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy announced a plan to supercharge the hiring of air traffic controllers. The Department of Transportation has committed to increasing the salaries for air traffic controller trainees and streamlining the hiring process. While the details of that plan have yet to be seen, federal funding is urgently needed in Fiscal Year 2025 to help the FAA fill current gaps in the air traffic controller workforce.

Congresswoman Titus asked House leadership to include $43 million in funding for the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) appropriations bill to address the air traffic controller shortage. “With this critical funding, the FAA can hire and train 2,000 new air traffic controllers annually which will help fill current gaps that pose a threat to aviation safety across the United States,” the congresswoman wrote.

Background

Congresswoman Titus led provisions in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 which was signed into law on May 16, 2024, to help address the air traffic controller shortages. Section 437 of the bill directs the FAA to hire the maximum number of individuals that the FAA Academy can train as air traffic controllers for Fiscal Years 2024 through 2028. This provision, however, is subject to Congressional appropriations.

Congresswoman Titus’s letter was co-signed by:

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-WA)
Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA)
Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA)
Rep. Henry Johnson (D-GA)
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH)
Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA)
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-CA)
Rep. Seth Moulton, (D-MA)
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
Rep. Eleanor Norton (D-DC)
Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH)
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL)


The following organizations are supporting the letter:

National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA)
Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA)
Transportation Trades Department (TTD)
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
Allegiant Air Chris Brown
National Air Carrier Association (NACA)
Vertical Flight Society Mike Hirschberg
U.S. Travel Association
Vertical Aviation International
Travelers United
NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP)
Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA)
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA 
Cargo Airline Association
National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO)
Southwest Airlines Pilots Association