Inside the FAA’s race to train air traffic controllers: 'It’s going to take time'

The Trump administration is speeding up its efforts to address a nationwide shortage of Air Traffic Controllers Earlier this year Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy declared a push to hire new controllers by the end of the year Inside the Federal Aviation Administration's Oklahoma City training site there is cutting-edge simulation equipment that gives trainees a real feel for working in the tower TO KEEP THE SKIES SAFE THE FAA NECESSITIES A MAKEOVER According to the FAA that device cuts weeks off the time required for certification Now federal aviation bureaucrats say they re on track to reach the goal of new controllers by mid-September Keying up telling an aircraft to do something is not something that just comes natural to people It's learning that phraseology explained Chris Wilbanks the FAA s Vice President of Mission Encouragement It's making sure that the pilot absolutely understands the instruction that you just gave him FAA PARTNERS WITH UNIVERSITY TO ADDRESS NATIONWIDE CONTROLLER SHORTAGE Each trainee starts with a -day basics unit followed by six to eight weeks of specialized training in both tower and radar operations You impact people's lives reported Wilbanks They get on an airplane they make it to their destination safely They don't know who got them there but it's you The push for more air traffic controllers comes as staffing shortages caused delays earlier this year at busy airports such as Newark New Jersey We just put a brand-new simulation in Newark We do have our challenge spots out there We keep our eyes on it every day Wilbanks explained SECRETARY DUFFY TO STREAMLINE FAA HIRING PROCESS To help meet the demand Transportation Secretary Duffy launched the Supercharge Initiative earlier this year Part of that billion boost to FAA infrastructure includes million for training July alone has seen the highest number of academy students in training in FAA s history with students expected by the end of the month The FAA reports it has shaved more than five months off the administrative process Students who scored in the top percentile are now being placed into the academy more swiftly It s going to take time to address the nationwide controller shortage but I m pleased to see our supercharge initiative is taking off With our new streamlined hiring process the best and the brightest candidates are starting their careers in air traffic control faster announced U S Transportation Secretary Sean P Duffy in a newsletter sent to FOX early Friday We ll continue to leverage opportunities big and small to keep chipping away at the shortage to keep our skies safe