Air traffic controller shortage drives new Enhanced AT-CTI training

Eastman, GA – The nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers has renewed interest in a growing training option that the FAA now approves for certain colleges.

The recent federal government shutdown has highlighted just how thin staffing numbers are, especially as delays and route changes pile up across the country.

The FAA says it wants to hire at least 8,900 new controllers by 2028. According to FAA workforce data analyzed by USAFacts, nearly 3,000 controller positions were vacant nationwide as of late 2024; However, not every facility is equally understaffed.

This shortage is fueling interest in a newer FAA-approved college track 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 receive training to the same standard as the FAA Academy, and if they are hired and meet FAA requirements, such as passing the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA), medical and security clearances, they can go directly to a facility rather than completing the entire academy in Oklahoma City, which can involve long waiting lists and multi-month courses.

Graduates still undergo site-specific training and must earn on-the-job certification before becoming full controllers.

As of 2025, only nine schools nationwide have been approved to offer the new Enhanced AT-CTI program, according to Kemarie Jeffers, chair of Middle Georgia State’s aviation science and management department.

At Middle Georgia State’s tower simulator, air traffic control student Brooke Graffagnino says it’s the intensity of the work that attracts her. “It kind of makes your chest pound because the more traffic there is, sometimes the busier it gets,” he said.

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Students also gain experience in real airport operations by training in the control tower on campus. (Fox News)

He says students quickly figure out whether they’re right for the job. “You can tell who didn’t [love it]. There were many of them and they are no longer here. “It takes a lot to overcome this,” he said.

Graffagnino says the importance of the work became clearer as he learned more about how controllers keep busy airspace organized. “When you get into airspace that is very crowded or you get closer to larger airports like Atlanta, you need someone to help coordinate and keep everything separate and safe,” he said.

Middle Georgia State was approved as an Advanced AT-CTI school in mid-2024. The impact is immediate, Jeffers says.

“Previously our program had about 17 to 20 students. Now we have 54 students. So in this short period of time we have almost tripled the number of students we have,” he said.

An instructor helps the student navigate radar-based air traffic training during an advanced simulation. (Fox News)

To earn the advanced title, the school had to update its curriculum, overhaul parts of the simulator setup and install new audio and video systems, Jeffers said.

“We upgraded a lot of our equipment… We had to install audio and video equipment on the upper level of our tower simulation,” he said.

These upgrades provide: FAA will review remotely or spot-check training sessions and ensure they comply with federal standards.

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The biggest difference of the program is what happens after graduation. “The improved CTI eliminates the need to go to academia. You will graduate here and can go straight to work,” Jeffers said. “So it saves you time and effort; again, it allows you to work earlier and make money faster.”

The FAA requires advanced programs to employ instructors with controller experience and to maintain simulator equipment comparable to FAA standards.

Comparison of the traditional FAA route to becoming an air traffic controller and the newer Enhanced AT-CTI route. (Fox News)

As students progress, simulations become more complex, requiring trainees to manage more aircraft simultaneously.

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

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Before finishing the program, each student must pass a final simulation that reflects the FAA Academy’s evaluation process.

“Our instructors will then run a scenario and they will be graded… just like they are graded in the academy,” Jeffers said. he said.

According to the FAA’s Fiscal Year 2025 Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan, the agency anticipates hiring approximately 2,000 in Fiscal Year 2025 and 2,200 in Fiscal Year 2026, with gradual increases through 2028; but retirements are expected to offset most of this growth.