whoatherebigfella
28102
607
13
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-every-understaffed-air-traffic-control-tower-in-the-u-s/
May 31, 2025 2:23 PM
whoatherebigfella
28102
607
13
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-every-understaffed-air-traffic-control-tower-in-the-u-s/
IPoisonedDorcasMutton
...The fact that I lived in the greater Phoenix area for most of my life and didn't know that Scottsdale has an airport is mildly insane to me.
sindail
https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1bmNqdWZ5aDMwczNuMjR3eGFxeGN6Y3p1bXAzbnJiM2JneXB4eHBuZSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/7pzsi1bP3FmFmuxC6P/200w.webp
TheWombatStrikesAgain
Republicans - Better die in a fuckup by too few overworked white guys than live in a world where DEI hires invisibly save your life
nobodyspecial995
You can't save money if you keep paying people
DidItForScience
Why isn't the goal 100%???
TrilithonStone
So, this isn't brain-sugery. It's was well known staffing for ATCs was already stretched thin before DOGE. That further cuts would be dangerous. So, more crashes must have been the intention.
SomeDetroitGuy
Seems like a perfect time to freeze hiring and fire all the new ATCs hired in the last year.
grandpasonlylivingheir
So this is crying “wolf” because it’s two years out of date and the figures are all wrong? Is that what I’m reading elsewhere?
wherearemytesticles
Y'all motherfuckers need TRAINS.
apLundell
Of course, those ALSO crash if the traffic controllers can't do their jobs.
ArthurT
And BRAINS. BRAINS AND TRAINS! Works for me.
QueenV17
That’s from September 2023 according to the footnote on the bottom right. I’d hate to see what it is now.
djevelen
pretty sure its even worse now, hence the effort to try and get them to stick past the mandated retirement age for the position.
saganworshipper
Top comment
Baconlovesyoutoo
In 2025 there are 162 facilities (of the 290 total) that meet or exceed staffing goals with 52 at over 100% staffing. 84 facilities had staffing levels of over 85% and 44 were staffed at less than 75%. https://usafacts.org/articles/is-there-a-shortage-of-air-traffic-controllers/
LovelyEnvy
In 2023. While the article is somehow dated in 2025 it relays no statics about the current year.
PorneliusHubertII
I have decided that I won't be flying anywhere for the next 8 years unless absolutely necessary.
whoatherebigfella
How did you decide on 8 years as your number?
PorneliusHubertII
4 years to ride out current admin, 4 years for next admin to hire and train next gen of ATC.
froggyzoomzoomEABOD
“the FFA operates…” Federal Faviation Administration
Jonmbram
Future Farmers of America
HenryGant
ffs
Thatsadownvotin
FFA? The Future Farmers of America? Man, we really are doomed.
JustDriftingAboutTheInterWebs
Furious Fappers of America
ExtremeAndViolentButtFun
FAA so understaffed itself they turned to farmers for help.
SamAndJanetEvening
I don't know, herding sheep isn't all that different
Speaker2Animals
My first reaction, also.
cre8majic
"I believe in the future of farming, of a faith born not of words, but deeds..." had to memorize the pledge for FFA
chackstar
It stamds for For Fuck’s Air
ishouldprobablybeworkingrightnow
That's funny cause....https://www.faa.gov/atc-hiring
Cats2cats
Seems the airlines don’t give a damn unless their bottom line collapses. They will push increased flights until a major incident with massive deaths then blame it on the ATC’s.
DeadWhiteMale
See also https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2025/05/29/faa-short-staffing-data-flight-delays/83881631007/ from yesterday
Drew442
The stress of this job was literally the plot point of the movie Summer Rental
hugyourhedgehog
And the movie 2:22 starts with a great example of the stress of the job
hugyourhedgehog
And the skills involved in it. I wouldn't want to trust any but the best for the job, and they deserve to be treated well and respected and given the resources to succeed. (As everyone deserves, but especially people that make sure planes land and take off safely)
clintbacca
And Pushing Tin
Poppypoppoppop
Also, why a plane crashed in Breaking Bad when Jane died. (Her dad was a air traffic controller)
RobodocCheese
That build up was great storytelling
jbrightmans
and some of Breaking Bad
ionicseraph
Well now you've brought a huge problem to my attention while simultaneously making me feel nostalgic and also miss John Candy! I can't handle all these emotions!
SacrificialClam
So whats the solution
NoTeEnchiles
ScootyPuffSr
Nationalize the major railways that avoid competing with each other like cable TV companies, make the freight system work properly, and use the resulting capacity to run passenger trains as transportation instead of as land-based vacation cruises.
VodkaReindeer
fly less
PersonalityFire
Air Traffic Controllers should stage a collective strike. Shut this country the FUCK down. Easy for me to say because I am just posting on imgur though. And yes, I know it's illegal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Air_Traffic_Controllers_Organization_(1968) but something can absolutely be made un-illegal by the exigence of necessity. Let Congress blink first.
PersonalityFire
And Federal retaliation for failing to show up to work sounds like a job for the 13th Amendment.
FrolickingFrolicking
A person has to be really ignorant to say “what’s the solution” here while probably imagining how realistic they are. Obviously the solution like every other public service is tax the rich to pay for better public services, instead of removing taxes on the rich and destroying public services (which is a leading ideology in USA culture, indoctrination, and politics)
SacrificialClam
I wasnt saying there WASNT a solution. But the graph doesn't say what the reason is for this shortage of employees. So I am asking genuinely asking, since I am not an expert at FAA employment.
Boatsntoes
I have ADHD to the point where I would need to inject meth to do ATAC
SJBSavageInk
I'm supposed to fly for a wedding in October and I'm legit considering cancelling cause I don't want to die
VodkaReindeer
It's not that bad if you compare it to August 4, 1981!
PersonalityFire
Fuck Reagan as usual: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Air_Traffic_Controllers_Organization_(1968)
sorryforsayingthat
Do they still run the rotating shifts? 2 days shifts, 2 swing shifts 1 grave and then 2 off. Along with overtime to pull down big numbers
TheImmunerd
Knew a guy who worked air traffic control in Denver. The stress level is unreal
PlainlyPuzzled
Another reason not to visit USA ...
jackal12345
Not super jazzed about Rochester being the worst considering I'm just south of the Twin Cities.
Trelis
Imagine having a staff shortage, and then firing people but white men. Surely that will solve it!
thatgirlfromthatplaceyouwentonetime
I don't know shit but...That's a lot. Right?
DeamgonDork
Rochester only goes to Minneapolis so no biggy
manysoftlicks
Yeah, there are multiple times that life flights have had me circling RST. Not great. I think there's an ORD commuter too.
GTPTB
Commercial, maybe, but what about life flight to Mayo?
maybeamonster
I feel like air traffic control should have more of a 120% staffing goal, so the operators can safely take leave / be sick / have vacations / etc without airplanes falling out of the sky.
cepacolusmaximus
THAT'S COMMIE TALK
armagetz
That’s literally what they did. 100% of budgeted headcount covers expected gaps from callouts and turnover.
maybeamonster
a staffing goal of 85% means consistent pressure on them not to be out, then, if 100% covers expected gaps, right? made even worse with, what, almost half not even meeting that?
armagetz
It means when callouts occur, or PTO is offered, they either absorb the workload (increasing stress) or call in someone on their scheduled day off. Not necessarily a service gap occurs.
Feralkyn
"Staffing goal" doesn't mean "staff required to run facility." If I have 8 positions, and want 30 people filling them, that could be my "100% staffing goal."
armagetz
Also, it should be noted that this is 2023 data, and the 85% expectation was a new guideline put on 2024. Not suggesting the ATC staffing issue is copacetic, but this chart has zero to do with illustrating the current situation, for good or worse.
Gibleteousjack
I feel like DFW has 0% staffing most of the time.
comacomacomacomachameleon
ATC being out won't make planes fall out of the sky... It might make them hit other planes on the ground tho.
TomahawkJackson
You might be in training/supervision 2-3 years to become a Certified controller. The 85% goal counts Certified people, not raw headcount/butts-in-seats. 85% is also the 'risk balanced' point where operations are efficient and risk is managed. 120% means you have every position staffed by a fully Certified controller, and have 20% sitting around 2080 hours/year doing nothing. PLUS all the people working toward Certification...cuz it's not counting every butt-in-seat, remember...
Pseudobatrachotoxin
The ‘sitting around, doing nothing’ you speak of is the time where experienced operators transfer knowledge and expertise to the up and coming trainees - you’d have better trained air traffic controllers if they were allowed to observe without the stress of making the decisions - seeing what others see and how successful controllers keep the system flowing. It’s not something that you can just read a manual for. And appropriate leave for people, rather than begging or foregoing altogether…
asdfewrewqasd
This may be a though viewpoint for capitalist Americans to swallow: I *want* every position staffed by a certified worker. Trainees can pair with a certified worker.
Isorikk
That sounds very expensive for little return. Ever learn how to drive? How much of your learning was done in the passenger seat?
Hereagain
"very expensive for little return"
man, you really just proved their statement that a capitalist can't understand the concept 🤣
Isorikk
It's not really a capitalist problem, though, is it? In magical make believe land we could have infinite food but in reality there's only so much available. There is no government system that will magically make labor appear out of thin air and given the problem is that they can't hire enough people to do the job, despite already having incredibly high salaries, throwing more money at it isn't going to solve the problem. Our government is already drowning in problems to callously throw money at
thundercactus
In addition to this, I do not want ANY air traffic controller to be working at 100% capacity. I want them to be at 80% capacity tops, 100% in short bursts during emergencies or more than one person goes to the bathroom at the same time. But there shouldn't be a single ATC suffering burnout at any point.
potshot
While I love ripping on American immoral business practices, I don't think it's fair in this case. Firstly, 85% staffing does not mean that 15% of flights don't have a certified controller available. It means that in 100% utilization scenario(which is already pretty much a catastrophe in itself) there would be either 15% without a controller or overworked controllers to cover longer shifts.
Typically staffing targets include a buffer on top of what is a realistic maximum utilization scenario,
potshot
and in many cases that means that something like 85% may well cover even a worst case scenario.
Secondly, it costs money. And no, this is not a shitty "well there's gotta be a profit in it" capitalist excuse. They do cost money, and they need to be paid. That money has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is either from the customer(higher prices for the airport if it's private) or from taxes. And while I agree that taxes in the US could be a lot higher, particularly for the rich, single
potshot
tax-funded institutions can't be looked at in a vacuum. You need to account for every single tax-funded institution that could do with extra staff and make prioritizations. That's really, really difficult, and is very questionable if the net expected result is as good with less funding(see point 1).
Thirdly, we need to take historical context into account. Covid did a number on global, but especially US, aviation. Those wounds were still healing at the time of the chart. The issue is that