Testimony 

Before the Subcommittee on Aviation, 

House Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure

United States General Accounting Office 

GAO

For Release on Delivery 

Expected at 10:30 a.m. EDT 

Tuesday, June 15, 2004 FEDERAL AVIATION 

ADMINISTRATION 

Plan Still Needed to Meet 

Challenges to Effectively 

Managing Air Traffic 

Controller Workforce 

Statement of JayEtta Z. Hecker, Director Physical 

Infrastructure Team 

GAO-04-887T 
www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO 04-887T. 

To view the full testimony, click on the link 

above. For more information, contact JayEtta 

Hecker, (202) 512-2834 or heckerj@gao.gov. 

Highlights of GAO-04-887T, a testimony

before the Subcommittee on Aviation, 

House Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure 

June 15, 2004

FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION

Plan Still Needed to Meet Challenges to 

Effectively Managing Air Traffic 

Controller Workforce 

FAA faces a bow wave of thousands of air traffic controller retirements over 

the coming decade. GAO’s 2002 report warned that almost half of the 

controller workforce (about 7,000 controllers) would retire over the next 10 

years and about 93 percent of controller supervisors would be eligible to 

retire by the end of 2011. In addition, GAO’s analysis showed that 

retirements could increase dramatically at the busiest air traffic control 

facilities. FAA and the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General 

have also reported that a surge in controller retirements is on the way. 

Past and Projected Air Traffic Controller Retirement Eligibility, by Fiscal Year (2002 Report) 

FAA faces numerous hiring and training challenges to ensuring that wellqualified controllers are ready to fill the gap created by the expected 

retirements. For example, it can take 2-4 years or more to certify new 

controllers, and FAA’s training facility and air traffic control facilities, where 

years of on-the-job training occur, have limited capacity. While FAA must 

make hiring decisions from a long-term perspective, it has generally hired 

replacements only after a current controller leaves. In 2002, GAO 

recommended that FAA develop a comprehensive workforce plan to deal 

with these challenges. However, FAA has not finalized a plan, and its recent 

actions call into question whether it has adequate strategies to address these 

challenges. For example, since the beginning of this year, FAA lost nearly 

400 controllers and has hired only 1 new controller. Its fiscal year 2005 

budget proposal does not request any funding to hire additional controllers. 

Challenges will also affect the ability of the air traffic controller workforce 

to meet future changes in the airline industry and use of airspace. Challenges 

include the need for FAA to overcome management problems with acquiring 

systems to modernize the air traffic control system and to adjust to shifts in 

the use of airspace, including increases in the use of smaller aircraft and 

changes in air traffic patterns around the country. 

In the summer of 2000, the air 

traffic control system lacked the 

capacity to handle demand 

efficiently, and flight delays 

produced near-gridlock conditions 

at several U.S. airports. A 

combination of factors, including 

the crises instigated by the events 

of 9/11, temporarily reduced air 

traffic, but air traffic is now back to 

near pre-9/11 levels. The ability of 

the air traffic control system to 

handle expected traffic in coming 

years may depend in part on the 

Federal Aviation Administration’s 

(FAA) effectiveness in planning for 

a long-expected wave of air traffic 

controller retirements. 

GAO’s testimony focuses on (1) the 

magnitude and timing of the 

pending wave of air traffic 

controller retirements, (2) the 

challenges FAA faces in ensuring 

that well-qualified air traffic 

controllers are ready to step into 

the gap created by the expected 

large number of retirements, and 

(3) challenges that will affect the 

ability of the air traffic controller 

workforce to meet future changes 

in the airline industry and use of 

airspace. GAO’s statement is based 

on past reports on the air traffic 

controller workforce, including 

GAO’s 2002 report that surveyed 

controllers and analyzed controller 

workforce data. GAO has updated 

this work through interviews with 

and the collection of data from key 

stakeholders in the aviation 

community. This work was 

performed in accordance with 

generally accepted government 

auditing standards. 
Page 1 GAO-04-887T 

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: 

We appreciate the opportunity to participate in today’s hearing on the 

challenges the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) faces in effectively 

managing its air traffic controller workforce: in particular, challenges in 

planning effectively to address the large number of controller retirements 

expected over the next decade in order to help avoid any related 

disruptions to air travel. We all recall that in the summer of 2000, the air 

traffic control system lacked the capacity to handle demand efficiently, 

and flight delays produced near-gridlock conditions at several U.S. 

airports. A combination of factors—the downturn in travel caused by the 

general economic slowdown and of course the crises instigated by the 

events of 9/11—temporarily reduced traffic significantly and reduced 

pressure on the air traffic control system—but air traffic is now back to 

near pre 9/11 levels. 

The ability of the air traffic control system to handle expected traffic in 

coming years, including the status of FAA’s preparations for handling the 

long-expected wave of air traffic controller retirements, has again become 

a pressing issue. Air traffic controllers play an integral role in maintaining 

the safety and efficiency of the nation’s air traffic control system, and 

ensuring an appropriately sized and trained workforce is of high 

importance. We applaud the subcommittee’s focus on this critical issue 

and seek to contribute to the discussion by focusing on the following three 

topics: (1) the magnitude and timing of the pending wave of air traffic 

controller retirements, (2) challenges FAA faces in ensuring that wellqualified air traffic controllers are ready to step into the gap created by the 

expected large number of retirements, and (3) challenges that will affect 

the ability of the air traffic controller workforce to meet future changes in 

the airline industry and use of airspace. 

Our statement is based on our past reports in three areas: the air traffic 

controller workforce, including our 2002 report in which we surveyed 

controllers and analyzed controller workforce data;1

 air traffic control 

modernization; and airline competition. We have updated this work 

through interviews with and collection of data from key stakeholders in 

the aviation community, including several current and former senior FAA 

 1

Air Traffic Control: FAA Needs to Better Prepare for Impending Wave of Controller 

Attrition (GAO-02-591, June 14, 2002). 
Page 2 GAO-04-887T 

officials. We performed our work in accordance with generally accepted 

government auditing standards. 

In summary, Mr. Chairman, we found that: 

• FAA faces a bow wave of thousands of air traffic controller retirements 

over the coming decade. Our 2002 report warned that almost half of the 

controller workforce (about 7,000 controllers) would retire over the next 

10 years and that FAA estimated it would experience retirements of 

controllers at a level 3 times higher than that experienced over the 5-year 

period from 1996-2000. On top of the substantial retirements, at the time, 

FAA also projected that an additional 2,000 controllers would be needed 

by 2010 to address forecasted increases in demand for air travel. We also 

found that about 93 percent of the 1,862 controller supervisors would be 

eligible to retire by the end of 2011, which could exacerbate the problem 

of maintaining adequate controller staffing. In addition, our analysis 

showed that the busiest terminal facilities and the “en route” centers, used 

to manage aircraft beyond a 50-nautical-mile radius from airports, would 

experience a sizable increase in controllers reaching retirement eligibility. 

FAA and the Department of Transportation Inspector General have also 

reported that a surge in controller retirements is on the way; the question 

is – Will FAA be ready for it? 

• FAA faces numerous challenges related to ensuring that well-qualified 

controllers are ready to step into the gap created by the expected wave of 

retirements but it has not implemented strategies to meet them. Key 

among these challenges is efficiently hiring and training new controllers in 

numbers large enough to meet anticipated shortfalls. For example, since it 

takes 2-4 years and sometimes longer for a newly hired controller to 

become certified, hiring and training decisions need to be made from a 

longer-term perspective. However, we found in prior work that FAA’s 

process of generally hiring replacements only after a current controller 

leaves does not adequately take into consideration this training time. 

Hiring challenges include effectively screening candidates to help ensure 

that they have the aptitude needed to control air traffic. Efficiency in 

hiring will become even more important as FAA faces the large surge in 

controller retirements, for hiring people who do not make it through the 

training process wastes money and time—and may affect both the cost of 

the controller workforce and the ability of FAA to fill positions quickly 

enough to maintain a sufficient controller workforce to meet its mission. 

Training challenges include the limited capacity at the training center in 

Oklahoma City and at the air traffic control facilities. In addition, because 

of the significant amount of on-the-job training that currently occurs 

through one-on-one training, to effectively handle a large number of new 
Page 3 GAO-04-887T 

controllers, there needs to be an overlap period during which experienced 

controllers likely to retire soon and newly hired controllers are both on 

board. While this will result in a temporary increase in the cost of the air 

traffic controller workforce, eventually more senior, high salary 

controllers will retire and be replaced by new controllers at lower salaries, 

possibly reducing expenses; and the need for overlap between these two 

groups can be reduced. Our 2002 report recommended that FAA develop a 

comprehensive workforce plan to deal with these challenges, but FAA has 

not finalized a plan and its recent actions call into question whether it will 

have adequate strategies to address these challenges. For example, last 

year, FAA hired 762 controllers, but according to a senior National Air 

Traffic Controllers Association official, many of these hires took place at 

the end of the year, and because of limited space in training facilities, 

many of those hired were unable to begin entry level training immediately. 

Moreover, since hiring those controllers at the end of the year to reach a 

level of 15,635, FAA has lost nearly 400 controllers and has hired only 1 

new controller through May of this year. Its fiscal year 2005 budget 

proposal does not request any funding to hire additional controllers to 

address the wave of retirements. 

• Challenges will also affect the ability of the air traffic controller workforce 

to meet future changes in the airline industry and use of airspace, and 

these challenges underscore the importance of comprehensive workforce 

planning that considers and addresses the entire context in which air 

traffic controllers operate. Among these challenges is the need for FAA to 

overcome significant and longstanding management problems it has had 

with acquiring new air traffic control modernization systems within cost, 

schedule, and performance goals, including the need to effectively involve 

controllers in the development, deployment, and refinement of these new 

systems and consider how these new systems will affect the workforce. 

Another challenge will be adjusting to shifts in the types of aircraft used in 

commercial aviation (e.g., more flights by smaller aircraft, such as regional 

jets or air taxis), general aviation, and fractional ownership, where 

individuals or companies purchase a share in an aircraft for their 

occasional use. These shifts could have implications for the Aviation Trust 

Fund. Another challenge likely to impact the controller workforce will be 

keeping pace with the dynamic nature of the airline industry, in which 

major and low cost airlines are likely to change flight patterns, in part by 

adding or removing hubs. For example, industry sources have recently 

reported that US Airways plans to reduce service to Pittsburgh. Such 

changes may alter the flow of air traffic in particular areas, emphasizing 

the need for an air traffic control system that is nimble and can seamlessly 

continue to provide services as demand shifts. 
Page 4 GAO-04-887T 

Although the exact number and timing of the controllers’ departures are 

impossible to determine, scenarios we developed indicate that the total 

attrition of controllers from FAA will grow substantially in the short and 

long terms. As a result, FAA will likely need to hire thousands of air traffic 

controllers in the next decade. At the end of fiscal year 2003, FAA had 

15,635 controllers, and according to its staffing standard, it is targeting a 

controller staffing level of 15,136 in fiscal year 2004, 15,300 in fiscal year 

2005, and 16,109 in fiscal year 2009. However, so far this year, the agency 

has lost nearly 400 controllers due to retirements and as of May had hired 

only 1 controller. FAA has reported similar projections of a wave of air 

traffic controller retirements, and in a 2004 report, the Inspector General 

also reported on the coming wave, citing FAA’s estimate that nearly 7,100 

controllers could leave the agency by 2012.2

 Our 2002 report found that 

FAA estimated it would experience retirements of controllers at a level 

three times higher than that experienced over the 5-year period from 1996-

2000. On top of the substantial number of retirements, at the time, FAA 

also projected that an additional 2,000 controllers would be needed by 

2010 to address forecasted increases in demand for air travel. 

Our 2002 report analyzed, among other things, the retirement eligibility 

levels for various portions of the controller workforce and found that the 

annual number of controllers first becoming eligible for retirement would 

peak in fiscal year 2007, when about 10 percent of the air traffic 

controllers will become eligible to retire. (See fig. 1.) In addition, we found 

that by 2011, about 68 percent of the current controllers would be eligible 

to retire. 

 2

Opportunities to Improve FAA’s Process for Placing and Training Air Traffic 

Controllers In Light of Pending Retirements, (Department of Transportation Inspector 

General, Report Number: AV-2004-060, June 2, 2004). 

FAA Faces a Pending 

Wave of Air Traffic 

Controller 

Retirements 
Page 5 GAO-04-887T 

Figure 1: Past and Projected Air Traffic Controller Retirement Eligibility, by Fiscal Year 

Note: This figure appeared in Air Traffic Control: FAA Needs to Better Prepare for Impending Wave of 

Controller Attrition (GAO-02-591, June 14, 2002). 

We found a similar situation with the retirement eligibility of supervisors. 

Because supervisors are important to air traffic control operations and 

because they tend to be older than others controlling traffic, we examined 

retirement eligibility and survey results of supervisors at FAA as of June 

2001. We found that supervisors will also become eligible to leave FAA in 

very high numbers over the next decade. Specifically, we found that 1,205, 

or 65 percent of current supervisors, would become eligible to retire 

between 2002 and 2011. (See fig. 2.) However, with 28 percent of current 

supervisors already eligible to retire and another 65 percent reaching 

eligibility by 2011, a total of about 93 percent of 1,862 current supervisors 

will be eligible to retire by the end of fiscal year 2011. As a result, FAA may 

face substantial turnover in its supervisory ranks over the next decade. 

This turnover could put a further strain on FAA’s ability to maintain a 

sufficient certified controller workforce, as experienced controllers will be 

tapped to fill open supervisory positions, leaving fewer to control air 

traffic or provide training for new controllers. 
Page 6 GAO-04-887T 

Figure 2: Past and Projected Retirement Eligibility for Supervisory Air Traffic Controllers 

Note: This figure appeared in Air Traffic Control: FAA Needs to Better Prepare for Impending Wave of 

Controller Attrition (GAO-02-591, June 14, 2002). 

Because of the crucial role certain facilities play in the national air space 

system, we analyzed the impact of retirement eligibility on the 21 major 

“en route” centers (air route traffic control centers used to manage aircraft 

beyond a 50-nautical-mile radius from airports), the 10 busiest airport 

towers, and the 10 busiest TRACON facilities (terminal radar approach 

control facilities used to track airplanes and manage the arrival and 

departure of aircraft within a 5-to-50 nautical mile radius of airports). 

Based on our analysis of FAA’s employee database, we found the en route 

centers and the busiest terminal facilities will experience a sizeable 

increase in the number of controllers reaching retirement eligibility. As 

figure 3 shows, retirement eligibility in these facilities grows over the next 

decade. 
Page 7 GAO-04-887T 

Figure 3: Past and Projected Retirement Eligibility for En Route Centers, 10 Busiest Towers and 10 Busiest TRACONs, by 

Fiscal Year 

Note: This figure appeared in Air Traffic Control: FAA Needs to Better Prepare for Impending Wave of 

Controller Attrition (GAO-02-591, June 14, 2002).

Based on our analysis for the towers, we found that the Denver tower had 

the highest proportion of retirement-eligible controllers as of September 

30, 2001, with 14 of its 51 controllers (27 percent) eligible to retire. We 

found that by the end of fiscal year 2006, 45 percent of Denver’s current 

controllers would be eligible to retire, and by the end of fiscal year 2011, 

46 of its 51 controllers (90 percent), will reach retirement eligibility. 

Our analysis of the 10 busiest TRACON facilities showed that the 

Dallas/Fort Worth TRACON had the highest level of current controllers 

eligible to retire at the end of fiscal year 2001, with 36 of its 147 controllers 

(24 percent) eligible. We found that by the end of fiscal year 2006, the 

cumulative percentage would grow to 46 percent, and by the end of fiscal 

year 2011 would reach 87 percent, as 128 of the 147 controllers currently at 

the facility would reach retirement eligibility. 
Page 8 GAO-04-887T 

In examining the 21 major en route centers, we found that the Jacksonville 

center had the highest proportion of retirement-eligible controllers at the 

end of fiscal year 2001, with 79 of its 376 controllers (21 percent) eligible 

for retirement. According to our analysis, by the end of fiscal year 2006, at 

least 29 percent of current controllers would be eligible for retirement at 

10 centers—Albuquerque, Atlanta, Boston, Fort Worth, Houston, 

Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Memphis, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. 

We are not alone in seeing a bow wave of controller retirements 

approaching over the next several years. This month, FAA provided us 

with projections that 329 controllers would retire in fiscal year 2004, and 

that this level would double by fiscal year 2007 to over 650 in that year, 

and double again to 1170 by fiscal year 2013. These levels are significantly 

higher than the average of less than 200 retirements per year over the past 

5 years (1999-2003). Similarly, the Department of Transportation Inspector 

General reported this month that increasing numbers of controllers will 

become eligible to retire through 2012, with a peak of retirement eligibility 

around fiscal year 2007, and that FAA had estimated that nearly 7,100 

controllers could leave FAA by fiscal year 2012. 

There are several challenges related to hiring and training large numbers 

of air traffic controllers in the short amount of time available. Although we 

identified these challenges in 2002 and recommended that FAA create a 

comprehensive workforce plan that addresses these challenges, FAA has 

not yet created a plan. Moreover, its recent actions suggest that it has not 

implemented strategies to meet these challenges and put into place a 

system that will bring on board air traffic controllers in time to deal with 

the projected retirements of many controllers. However, senior FAA 

officials told us that the agency’s new Air Traffic Organization is currently 

preparing a comprehensive business plan, including a comprehensive 

controller workforce plan, which is due to the Congress in December 2004. 

A key component of workforce planning is ensuring that appropriately 

skilled employees are available when and where they are needed to meet 

an agency’s mission. This means that an agency continually needs trained 

employees to become available in time to fill newly opened positions. We 

reported in 2002 that FAA’s hiring practice was generally to hire new 

employees only when current employees leave, which does not adequately 

account for the time needed to train controllers to fully perform their 

functions. The amount of time it takes new controllers to gain certification 

depends on the facility at which they work, but generally, training takes 

from 2 to 4 years and can take up to 5 years at some of the busiest and 

FAA Faces Challenges 

to Hiring and Training 

an Adequate Number 

of Well- Qualified 

Controllers but Lacks 

Strategies to Meet 

These Challenges 
Page 9 GAO-04-887T 

most complex facilities. Moreover, during the training period, the current 

training process depends upon substantial one-on-one training, during 

which an experienced controller works directly with a controller in 

training, monitoring the trainee’s actions, so there must be an overlap of 

experienced controllers and newly hired controllers. FAA regional 

officials, who are responsible for ensuring that FAA’s air traffic facilities 

are adequately staffed, were particularly concerned about FAA’s general 

hiring practice. Specifically, the officials were concerned that significant 

increases in retirements would leave facilities short of qualified controllers 

while new trainees were hired and trained. 

Our report also noted that the lack of experienced controllers could have 

many adverse consequences. For example, several FAA regional officials 

stated that if a facility becomes seriously short of experienced controllers, 

the remaining controllers might have to slow down the flow of air traffic 

though their airspace. If the situation became dire, FAA could require 

airlines to reduce their schedules, but this would be an unlikely, worstcase scenario, according to some FAA regional officials. Also, because 

there would be fewer experienced controllers available to work, some 

FAA facility officials stated that those controllers could see increased 

workloads and additional, potentially mandatory, overtime. In addition to 

potentially resulting in increased work-related stress and sick leave usage, 

it could also cause experienced controllers to retire sooner than they 

otherwise might. For example, based on our 2002 survey of controllers, we 

estimated that 33 percent of controllers would accelerate their decision to 

retire if forced to work additional mandatory overtime. 

Identifying sources of future potential employees with the requisite skills 

and aptitude is also important. Efficiency in hiring will become even more 

important as FAA faces the wave of controller retirements, for hiring 

people who do not make it through the training process wastes money and 

time—and may affect both the cost of the controller workforce and the 

ability of FAA to fill positions quickly enough to maintain a sufficient 

controller workforce to meet its mission. FAA has historically hired new 

controllers from a variety of sources, including graduates from institutions 

in FAA’s collegiate training institute program, the Minneapolis Community 

and Technical College, former FAA controllers who were fired by 

President Reagan in 1981, and former Department of Defense controllers. 

FAA can also hire off-the-street candidates to become controllers. The 

success of hiring candidates who actually become controllers depends in 

large part on identifying potential candidates who have the appropriate 

aptitude for controllers’ work. Historically, FAA used its initial entry-level 

training at its academy to screen out candidates who could not become 
Page 10 GAO-04-887T 

successful controllers. According to FAA officials, as many as 50 percent 

of off-the-street applicants have dropped out before finishing the required 

training program, at a cost of $10 million per year, a rate that highlights the 

difficulty of successfully hiring candidates to replace the thousands of new 

controllers expected to retire. FAA has recently begun to test a new 

screening exam that it hopes will better ensure that potential new hires 

have the skills and abilities necessary to become successful controllers. It 

will take a number of years to determine if the new test has the desired 

results. 

Training challenges include the limited capacity at the training center in 

Oklahoma City and at the air traffic control facilities. In addition, because 

of the significant amount of on-the-job training that currently occurs 

through one-on-one training, to effectively handle a large number of new 

controllers, there needs to be an overlap period during which both 

experienced controllers likely to retire soon and newly hired controllers 

are both on board. While this will result in a temporary increase in the cost 

of the air traffic controller workforce, eventually more senior, high salary 

controllers will retire and be replaced by new controllers at lower salaries, 

possibly reducing expenses; and the need for overlap between these two 

groups can be reduced. 

Our 2002 report recommended that FAA develop a comprehensive 

workforce plan for controllers to deal with these challenges, but FAA has 

not finalized a plan and its recent actions call into question whether it will 

have adequate strategies to address these challenges. For example, last 

year, FAA hired 762 controllers, but according to a senior National Air 

Traffic Controllers Association official, many of these hires took place at 

the end of the year, and because of limited space in training facilities, 

many of those hired were unable to begin entry level training immediately. 

Moreover, since hiring those controllers at the end of the year to reach a 

level of 15,635, FAA has lost nearly 400 controllers and has hired only 1 

new controller through May of this year. Its fiscal year 2005 budget 

proposal does not request any funding to hire additional controllers to 

address the wave of retirements. 
Page 11 GAO-04-887T 

There are also challenges in the broader context of the air traffic control 

system that will affect the ability of the air traffic controller workforce to 

meet future changes in the airline industry and use of airspace. These 

challenges need to be considered as FAA develops and implements a 

comprehensive plan for its controller workforce. Challenges include the 

need for FAA to (1) overcome significant and longstanding management 

problems it has had with acquiring new systems to modernize the air 

traffic control system intended to facilitate the safe and efficient 

movement of air traffic by controllers and (2) adjust to shifts in the use of 

airspace, including increases in the use of smaller aircraft and changes in 

air traffic patterns around the country. 

Controller workforce planning needs to take place in the larger context of 

FAA’s Air Traffic Control modernization efforts in order to make optimal 

use of the agency’s investments. However, as our past work has shown, 

FAA needs to address longstanding problems it has had in deploying new 

air traffic control systems on schedule, within budget, and with promised 

capabilities to facilitate the safe and efficient flow of air traffic by 

controllers. These new systems are intended to improve the safety and 

efficiency of the nation’s air traffic control system, with some offering the 

potential to improve the productivity of the controller workforce. To 

maximize the usefulness of new systems to controllers and to help ensure 

that safety is not eroded by the introduction of new capabilities, sustained 

controller involvement is needed as new systems are developed, deployed, 

and refined. When there is an ineffective link between technology and 

needs, money and time will be wasted, and the effectiveness of the air 

traffic controller workforce may be reduced. Moreover, these new systems 

may change the productivity of the controller workforce, an effect that 

will need to be taken into account as FAA refines its estimates of future 

controller workforce needs. 

For example, our past work on the Standard Terminal Automation 

Replacement System (STARS)—the workstations used by controllers near 

airports to sequence and control air traffic—highlights the importance of 

controller involvement in the development, deployment, and refinement of 

air traffic control systems. In 1997, when FAA controllers first tested an 

early version of this commercially available system, they raised some 

concerns about the way aircraft position and other data were displayed 

and updated on the controllers’ radar screens. For example, the 

controllers said the system’s lack of detail about an aircraft’s position and 

movement could hamper their ability to monitor traffic movement. In 

addition, controllers noted that many features of the old equipment could 

Challenges Will Also 

Affect the Ability of 

the Controller 

Workforce to Meet 

Future Changes in the 

Airline Industry and 

Use of Airspace 

Controller Workforce 

Planning Inextricably 

Linked to FAA’s Air Traffic 

Control Modernization 

Efforts 
Page 12 GAO-04-887T 

be operated with knobs, allowing controllers to focus on the screen. By 

contrast, STARS was menu-driven and required the controllers to make 

several keystrokes and use a trackball, diverting their attention from the 

screen. To address these concerns, among others, FAA decided to develop 

a more customized system and to deploy an incremental approach, 

thereby enabling controllers to adjust to some changes before introducing 

others. This incremental approach costs more and is taking longer to 

implement than the original STARS project. Despite the importance of 

controller involvement in the development, deployment, and refinement of 

new air traffic control systems, such activities can be very timeconsuming, often take controllers off-line, and place additional pressure 

on an already constrained workforce. FAA needs to take into account 

these demands on the controller workforce as part of its comprehensive 

workforce plan. 

Changes in patterns of aircraft usage are likely to affect the needs of the 

air traffic controller workforce. The increased use of regional jets, the 

possibly expanding use of air taxis, ongoing general aviation aircraft 

usage, and fractional ownership, where individuals or companies purchase 

a share in an aircraft for their occasional use, could all increase the 

number of smaller aircraft in the sky, placing increased demands on the air 

traffic controller workforce. In addition, possible changes in air traffic 

patterns around the country may also impact this workforce. 

In 2001, we reported that we had found consensus among the studies we 

reviewed and the industry experts we interviewed that the growing 

number of regional jets had contributed to congestion in our national 

airspace.3

 The industry experts we spoke with repeatedly expressed 

concern about the impact of adding so many aircraft so quickly to airspace 

whose capacity is already constrained. Because hundreds of new aircraft 

had been added to already congested airspace while comparatively few 

turboprops had been taken out of service, many of the experts believed it 

was inevitable that congestion and delays would increase. They also noted 

that with many more regional jets on order, congestion and delays were 

not likely to diminish in the near future. Earlier this month, the Chairman 

and Chief Executive Officer of AirTran Airways noted that the air traffic 

 3

Aviation Competition: Regional Jet Service Yet to Reach Many Small Communities 

(GAO-01-344, February 14, 2001). 

Increases in Use of Smaller 

Aircraft and Changes in Air 

Traffic Patterns Around 

Country May Also Affect 

the Air Traffic Controller 

Workforce 
Page 13 GAO-04-887T 

control system may have difficulty absorbing the hundreds of regional jets 

now on order.4

In coming years, air taxis may also add to crowding in the skies. FAA 

officials told us that they have been briefed on proposals for using air taxis 

to carry about four passengers each in selected metropolitan areas where 

there is heavy surface traffic congestion. The use of such air taxis could 

increase the demand on controllers to provide air traffic services in these 

metropolitan areas, where it is likely that there is already heavy air traffic. 

Furthermore, it is possible that any increases in general aviation or 

fractional ownership could also increase the amount of traffic in the 

skies—traffic that must be effectively directed by air traffic controllers to 

ensure the safety of the airways. Moreover, because fees collected for the 

Aviation Trust Fund are based largely on ticket taxes assessed on paying 

airline passengers, the change in the mix of aircraft could have 

implications for the Aviation Trust Fund. 

Given the dynamic nature of the airline industry, in which major airlines 

and low cost airlines may change their flight patterns by adding or 

removing hubs, the number of flights in any one location may spike or 

drop abruptly. Recent examples include Independence Air’s move to set 

up operations at Washington Dulles International Airport and reports by 

industry sources of a US Airways plan to reduce service to Pittsburgh. 

These types of potential shifts in the location of demand for air traffic 

services underscore the need for a nimble air traffic control system that 

can seamlessly continue to provide services as demand shifts. 

FAA faces a complex task in effectively addressing the bow wave of 

controller retirements that is heading its way. The number of factors 

involved, including the need to time hiring so as not to overload training 

capacities and the need to be responsive to the changing demands of a 

dynamic industry, highlight the importance of a carefully considered, 

comprehensive workforce plan. This plan needs to include strategies for 

addressing the full range of challenges in order to seamlessly transition 

from the current workforce to a future workforce that is well qualified, 

trained, and can accommodate changes in the use of our airspace. 

 4

Testimony of Joseph Leonard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AirTran Airways 

before the Subcommittee on Aviation, House Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure, June 3, 2004. 

Concluding 

Observations 
Page 14 GAO-04-887T 

However, although we recommended to FAA 2 years ago that it develop a 

comprehensive plan for this purpose, it has not yet finalized a plan. Senior 

FAA officials told us that the Air Traffic Organization is currently 

preparing a comprehensive business plan, including a comprehensive 

controller workforce plan, which is due to the Congress in December 2004. 

This is an important opportunity to establish strategies to meet the 

challenges ahead. Today these challenges continue to underscore the need 

for action in developing strategies that take into account (1) the expected 

timing and location of anticipated retirements, (2) the length of the hiring 

and training processes, (3) limitations on training capacities, and (4) 

changes in the airline industry and use of airspace that may affect the air 

traffic controller workforce in coming years. Without focused and timely 

action on all of these fronts, the gap created by the expected bow wave of 

controller retirements could reduce the effectiveness of the air traffic 

control workforce to meet its mission just as increased activity in the skies 

makes its effectiveness more critical than ever to the safety of our airways. 

This concludes my statement. I would be pleased to respond to any 

questions that you or other Members of the Subcommittee may have at 

this time. 

For further information on this testimony, please contact JayEtta Z. 

Hecker at (202) 512-2834 or by e-mail at heckerj@gao.gov. Individuals 

making key contributions to this testimony include, David Lichtenfeld, 

Beverly Norwood, Raymond Sendejas, Glen Trochelman, and Alwynne 

Wilbur. 

Contacts and 

Acknowledgments 

(542037) 
This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the 

United States. It may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without further 

permission from GAO. However, because this work may contain copyrighted images or 

other material, permission from the copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to 

reproduce this material separately. 
The General Accounting Office, the audit, evaluation and investigative arm of 

Congress, exists to support Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities 

and to help improve the performance and accountability of the federal 

government for the American people. GAO examines the use of public funds; 

evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides analyses, 

recommendations, and other assistance to help Congress make informed 

oversight, policy, and funding decisions. GAO’s commitment to good government 

is reflected in its core values of accountability, integrity, and reliability. 

The fastest and easiest way to obtain copies of GAO documents at no cost is 

through the Internet. GAO’s Web site (www.gao.gov) contains abstracts and fulltext files of current reports and testimony and an expanding archive of older 

products. The Web site features a search engine to help you locate documents 

using key words and phrases. You can print these documents in their entirety, 

including charts and other graphics. 

Each day, GAO issues a list of newly released reports, testimony, and 

correspondence. GAO posts this list, known as “Today’s Reports,” on its Web site 

daily. The list contains links to the full-text document files. To have GAO e-mail 

this list to you every afternoon, go to www.gao.gov and select “Subscribe to e-mail 

alerts” under the “Order GAO Products” heading. 

The first copy of each printed report is free. Additional copies are $2 each. A 

check or money order should be made out to the Superintendent of Documents. 

GAO also accepts VISA and Mastercard. Orders for 100 or more copies mailed to a 

single address are discounted 25 percent. Orders should be sent to: 

U.S. General Accounting Office 

441 G Street NW, Room LM 

Washington, D.C. 20548 

To order by Phone: Voice: (202) 512-6000 

TDD: (202) 512-2537 

Fax: (202) 512-6061 

Contact: 

Web site: www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm 

E-mail: fraudnet@gao.gov

Automated answering system: (800) 424-5454 or (202) 512-7470 

Jeff Nelligan, Managing Director, NelliganJ@gao.gov (202) 512-4800 

U.S. General Accounting Office, 441 G Street NW, Room 7149 

Washington, D.C. 20548 

GAO’s Mission 

Obtaining Copies of 

GAO Reports and 

Testimony 

Order by Mail or Phone 

To Report Fraud, 

Waste, and Abuse in 

Federal Programs 

Public Affairs