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US Received 6,000 Applications for Air Traffic Control Roles, Transportation Secretary Says
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By Reuters
Published 43 minutes ago on
April 17, 2026

Passengers wait in line to access a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoint inside the domestic terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. March 27, 2026. (Reuters/Alyssa Pointer)

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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration received 6,000 applications for air traffic control roles in the last 12 hours, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Friday.

The FAA opened applications for air traffic controller positions overnight, Duffy said.

The U.S. air traffic control system in the U.S. is stretched thin. Many controllers are working mandatory overtime ​and six-day weeks and the FAA’s air traffic control training academy ⁠faces serious issues with retaining students.

The Trump administration is aiming to recruit gamers for air traffic control positions, Duffy said.

(Reporting by Courtney Rozen; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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