DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Federal Aviation Administration announced that has signed an agreement with Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University to offer a program aimed at reducing the nationwide air traffic controller shortage.
According to a news release, the Enhanced Air Traffic – Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) will be offered at the university in Daytona Beach, only the third school to offer the program.
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ERAU will join Tulsa Community College and the University of Oklahoma to “offer the same thorough curriculum and advanced technology” offered at the FAA Air Traffic Controller Academy in Oklahoma City.
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“The FAA is working to strengthen our controller workforce and create a continuous pipeline of talent,” said Tim Arel, Chief Operating Officer of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization. “The safety of the National Airspace System and the traveling public is always our number one priority. Working with schools like Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University will continue that mission.”
According to the FAA, the Enhanced AT-CTI was was created to allow qualified institutions to provide their students with equivalent FAA Academy air traffic control training.
Graduates of the program at one of the three schools can immediately start training at an air traffic facility, the FAA said.
“The agency will continue to take aggressive action to increase our controller workforce. In 2023, the FAA hired 1,500 controllers and this year hired more than 1,800. The FAA’s goal is to hire 2,000 controllers in 2025,” the release said in part.