U.S. airspace security officials are “losing their minds” over proposals for the agency to hire foreign air traffic controllers to plug the shortage it is grappling with, according to a leaked report.
Staffing shortages at the Federal Aviation Administration, especially among ATC workers, have contributed to a flurry of flight delays and cancelations, and may have also contributed to a spate of deadly crashes, including one that claimed 67 lives at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January. A preliminary FAA report found that staffing levels were “not normal” in the control tower on that day.
In response, the FAA bumped up salaries, pushed bonuses, went on a recruitment drive, and tried to persuade older workers not to retire. Staffing levels remain lower than the target numbers, and so the agency has now floated the idea of turning to foreign workers, according to The Atlantic.
“The FAA is facing significant air traffic controller staffing shortages, and to address this issue, is exploring the idea of recruiting experienced international talent,” said a three-page executive summary of the initiative, obtained by the publication.
“However, this approach must be carefully managed to ensure that the FAA’s high standards for safety and procedures are upheld,” it adds, acknowledging a need to “balance the critical areas of safety, training, national security, and immigration law to create a sustainable and effective workforce strategy for the FAA.”
A U.S. official involved in the discussions told the publication that the FAA’s security experts are “losing their minds” over the prospect of foreign nationals having such access to sensitive information like “military flight paths, restricted airspace, and air-defense zones.” Successful candidates could also gain access to radars and communications networks.
If the plan comes to fruition, it might also rankle President Donald Trump’s hardcore America First base. The president campaigned on American industry making a comeback, propped up by American workers. He has spent much of his second term diminishing the number of foreign nationals on U.S. soil, so a decision to actively seek out immigrants to fill such crucial roles might look contradictory to his usual message.
In most cases, foreigners cannot actually work directly for the U.S. federal government. At the FAA, they aren’t eligible for security clearances. To get around this, the initiative proposes a “structured pathway for these international recruits that leads to FAA employment and eventual U.S. citizenship.”
To support this possible loophole, the memo drew on the example of “institutions that admit international students,” despite the Trump administration’s attempts to stymie this, too.
The proposal indicates that candidates would go through a rigorous four-and-a-half-year process of studying the job. Modules on weather, language training, “basic phraseology,” and evaluation would be included in the robust training program.
Nathaniel Sizemore, a Department of Transportation spokesperson, said the FAA is “exploring every available option” to plug the gaps at the agency.
He told The Atlantic that no decision has been made yet, but suggested that if foreign workers did move to the U.S. to man signal towers, it would in some way constitute payback against “foreign countries [that] routinely steal U.S. controllers, who are rightfully frustrated by outdated tools and crumbling infrastructure.”
In a statement to the Daily Beast, Sizemore blamed Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary.
“Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg neglected the needs of our airspace—failing to replace our decades-old equipment or replace dilapidated towers, closing the FAA Training academy during COVID, and ignoring government watchdog reports. Their failures put a strain on the air traffic controller workforce and exacerbated the shortage,” he said.
He added that, despite there being “no one silver bullet to solve the shortage,” the agency, under “Secretary [Sean] Duffy’s leadership,” is working to repair the strain.
“We’ve already taken action to supercharge the hiring pipeline, create new financial incentives, and retain existing controllers,” Sizemore said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
