Tower sta ng falls short of airport growth From the cover
Some context
The big picture
The tower at ABIA is one of the most under- sta ed in the nation, operating at only 45% of its target sta ng level, according to U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett. Doggett said the air tra c control tower is down to just 27 of the 60 needed controllers. Tower controllers are assigned to airports based on sta ng needs and quali cations, rather than their preferred location, agency documents state. The FAA may o er incentives for control- lers willing to work in low-sta ed airports. According to the FAA’s Air Tra c Controller Workforce Plan 2025-2028, today’s challenges are linked to the current hiring pipeline. The plan cites three major events that weakened its ability to train new controllers: • The March 2013 government sequester, which imposed federal spending cuts • The 35-day government shutdown beginning in December 2018 • The COVID-19 pandemic These disruptions contribute to sta ng challenges that persist today, the report states, noting the high turnover rate for new trainees. According to the workforce plan, “academy attrition” is the single largest projected source of controller loss between 2024-28, accounting for 3,206 of the 6,872 total expected losses. More controllers are projected to be lost during training than from retirements, promotions and resignations combined. The agency launched a hiring campaign in late 2024 bringing on 2,026 new controllers, with plans to hire 8,900 total by 2028. Yet with 6,872 departures anticipated over that time, the net gain results in just over 2,000 controllers.
in air tra c controller sta ng. However, the reality includes a mix of tough working conditions, red tape and systemwide problems that go beyond a simple headcount, said Ashley Lane, a former ABIA air tra c controller of eight years, now a contracted instructor. “[Flying] is safe, but it’s not as safe as it could be,” Lane said.
Since late 2022, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has seen six near-catastrophic events, per Federal Aviation Administration incident data. Just last October, an American Airlines jet carrying 122 passengers nearly collided with a single-engine Cessna plane—coming within 350 feet of each other. The reason most often reported is a shortage
Federal Aviation Administration sta ng at AUS tower FAA established target tower sta ng Certi ed Professional Controller X
*JANUARY 2019 FEBRUARY 2025
CPC in training
60
20 10 30 40 50 60
42
38
0
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024 *2025
SOURCE: FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
Total aircraft operations overseen at ABIA by AUS tower ABIA was among the fastest airports in the nation to rebound from the COVID-19 downturn after 2020, according to airport o cials, hitting record tra c volumes in 2022 and 2023.
Indicates a reported safety incident that year
12K 16K 20K 24K 28K
8K 4K
0
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024 2025
SOURCE: AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
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