Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford said last week the agency lost as many as 500 air traffic controller trainees during the recent 43-day government shutdown, telling lawmakers that concerns about missed paychecks prompted many to leave the program. Bedford made the remarks during testimony before the Senate aviation subcommittee, noting that the ATC trainee departures occurred even as the Federal Aviation Administration kept its training academy in Oklahoma City operating throughout the funding lapse.
“Even though we kept the school open, I think the thought of not being paid was enough to frighten them away,” Bedford said.
The ATC trainee loss comes as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy seeks to expand the air traffic control workforce amid longstanding staffing shortages and aging infrastructure. Air traffic controllers continued working without pay during the shutdown, a situation Bedford acknowledged likely contributed to the attrition. Under questioning from Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Bedford said trainees historically have a high washout rate, which compounded the impact of the departures…