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Doing More with Less

A new raise barely keeps controller pay even with inflation, while the FAA keeps pushing controllers to do more with less, eroding the margin of safety.

FAA–NATCA pay deal · October 16, 2026

A Raise That Barely Breaks Even

Real pay is still about 18% below 2006 at every level. The 3.8% raise roughly matches inflation (prices are up 3.7% over the past year), so it keeps controllers even this year and recovers almost none of the earlier loss.

The deal’s stated goal: to “make better use of the FAA’s existing workforce.” In other words, do more with less, again.

More Workload +21.9% per CPC
12,020 ops / CPC

On track for more than 128 million operations in 2026, up 11.2% since 2012, while each controller’s share rose from 9,857 to 12,020.

Less Staffing -8.8% vs. 2012
10,713 CPCs

Down 1,040 from the 2012 high of 11,753, and 3,920 short of the previous CRWG targets (73.2% staffed).

Less Pay -18.4% Real Pay
−$45,021/yr

Even with the 2.8% raise, real pay is down 18.4% at every level since 2006 ($245,156 → $200,135 at Level 12, in today’s dollars) and 22.8% behind private-sector wages.

Workload, Staffing & Real Pay, 2012–2026

Workload and certified controllers are measured from 2012. Real pay is measured from its 2006 peak, and was already down 12.2% by 2012.

If You Can’t Hire the Controllers, Cut the Target

In October 2016 the FAA had 10,605 certified controllers. Today it has 10,713: a net gain of 108 in a decade. Unable to hire its way out, the FAA changed the math in 2026.

National Target vs. Certified Controllers, Jan 2026–Oct 2026

Headcount stayed flat while the June 2026 target cut erased 2,070 positions.

Target Cut
−2,070 controllers

Lowered at 275 of 313 facilities, from 14,633 to 12,563 nationally.

Reported Shortage
3,889 → 1,785 controllers

More than half vanished on paper from May to June 2026, lifting staffing from 73.4% to 85.8% while headcount barely moved.

Under 70% Staffed
142 → 32 facilities

110 facilities left the list without adding a single controller.

See All 275 Target Cuts

Eroding the Margin of Safety

After serious incidents in early 2023, an independent Safety Review Team chartered by the FAA found the agency “continues to be asked to do more with less in an already strained system.” On staffing, it concluded:

“These issues are eroding the margin of safety and injecting risk into the system, and the ATO must take action to urgently address this staffing crisis.”

National Airspace System Safety Review Team, November 2023
Redundancy

Fewer Eyes on the Airspace

Short-staffed facilities combine control positions, and supervisors may work traffic instead of overseeing it.

“When areas are combined, there are fewer eyes on the airspace.”
Overtime

6-Day Weeks & Frequent 10-Hour Shifts

Shortfalls are covered with mandatory sixth days and shifts held to ten hours, often for months.

“Overtime is at a historically high level and increasing.”
Fatigue

Rotating Shifts, Stacked Overtime

Compressed rotations like the “rattler” are how short-staffed facilities cover every shift. Overtime and constant training stack on top.

“…leads to greater fatigue and possibly mental health concerns, which reduces proficiency and increases system risk.”

Data Sources & Methodology

  1. [1]
    Traffic: FAA OPSNET tower, TRACON and en route counts at FAA-staffed facilities (contract and military towers excluded). En route counts before the FAA’s October 2018 counting change are scaled down 4.2% to match. 2026 is annualized from 8 months.
  2. [2]
    Staffing: FAA Controller Workforce Plans and monthly facility staffing reports. Previous targets are from the May 2025 FAA–NATCA CRWG agreement.
  3. [3]
    Real pay: FAA pay bands, Level 12 midpoint plus average locality, in 2026 dollars (BLS CPI-U). Private-sector wages: BLS Employment Cost Index.
  4. [4]
    Safety: NAS Safety Review Team report (November 2023), the source of every quote in the safety section. NATCA’s Senate testimony on overtime and its statement on the 2024 rest rules, via NPR.
  5. [5]
    2026 raise: DOT announcement (October 16, 2026), Reuters and FLYING. The 2.8% adds to January’s 1%, both retroactive, so 2026 pay is 3.8% above 2025. Inflation beside the raise is BLS CPI-U, September 2026 over a year earlier.