The bill would expand college-based air traffic controller training and allow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to appoint graduates to controller jobs without the usual competitive process. It would create grants for participating colleges and require a review of training programs and the controller skills test. The bill also calls for controller qualification and retention incentive programs, mental health training for providers and aviation medical examiners, and a report on airport radar systems that detect objects not cooperating with air traffic control.
The bill could change how air traffic controllers are trained and hired. It also directs the FAA to study training improvements and airport radar needs. The bill does not specify how these changes would affect travelers or when they would take effect.
The bill would authorize $20 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 for grants to colleges in the Enhanced-Collegiate Training Initiative. It would also authorize $20 million per year for those fiscal years to buy and place TSS equipment at air traffic control facilities. These amounts are authorizations, not a guarantee that the money will be provided. The bill does not state the cost of its other programs.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.