How FAA is addressing air traffic controller shortage in Las Vegas, U.S.

Federal authorities are more than three-quarters of the way through efforts to hire the first wave of air traffic controllers they hope will prevent the massive flight delays that crippled Harry Reid International Airport over last weekend.

Reid and airports across the country will remain vulnerable to flight delays until the Trump administration’s plan to hire nearly 7,000 air traffic controllers over three years is completed.

Flights at Reid were delayed an average of three hours last weekend due to what the Federal Aviation Administration characterized as “staffing shortages.” By Monday, schedules were back up to speed, but experts have warned that there could be more delays until new controllers are hired and trained, a process that can take up to two years.

When temporary controller staffing issues occur, the FAA ensures safety by slowing the rate of arrivals into an airport.

Aviation industry critics have warned that air traffic flow could be disrupted unless more controllers are hired and the National Airspace System is modernized.

According to FAA documents, the Las Vegas Terminal Radar Approach Control system has a staffing target of 46 controllers in 2026. As of October, it had 37 with an attrition forecast of 10 departures within three years.

Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., on Monday said the FAA didn’t update her on the staffing shortages that plagued Reid over the weekend, but she’s made efforts to hire more controllers through legislation.

“Our air traffic controllers work around the clock to ensure travel remains safe and reliable,” Titus said in an emailed statement. “As our airspace becomes more congested and complex, the least we can do is ensure that our control towers are adequately staffed. That is why I secured a provision in the recent FAA reauthorization directing the federal government to hire the maximum number of controllers possible.”

Aviation expert Mike Boyd of Colorado-based Boyd Group International has been critical of the FAA’s hiring tactics and sounded the alarm on a need for more controllers years ago.

The FAA, in May, announced its air traffic controller workforce plan it hopes will erase the longstanding staffing shortage, prepare for future demand and ensure the long-term safety and operational efficiency of the airspace system.

The FAA’s 2026 Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan is based on three strategic pillars: expanding the agency’s aggressive and successful supercharged hiring; optimizing controller efficiency; and modernizing the airspace system.

Administrator optimistic

But FAA Administrator Brian Bedford is optimistic that the plan set in motion in May will fix the staffing shortage problem.

“This forward-thinking plan delivers on President Donald J. Trump’s promise to provide the American flying public with a world-class air traffic control system, and that starts with highly trained, professional air traffic controllers,” Bedford said in May. “We can’t continue to operate the same way and expect better results. We’re changing how we hire, train and schedule our controller workforce — and providing them with the state-of-the-art tools they need to succeed.”

The plan identifies a full staffing target of 12,563 certified professional controllers based on forecast demand. The FAA determined the target based on findings from the National Academy of Sciences’ Transportation Research Board, which reviewed existing staffing models and methodologies. Deploying modern staffing models and scheduling tools will improve controller staffing efficiency and reduce the need for excessive overtime, which can lead to fatigue and burnout.

As of April, around 11,000 certified professional controllers are deployed across more than 300 FAA air traffic facilities, with an additional 4,000 controllers in the training pipeline, including about 1,000 who were previously a fully certified controller but are now training at new air traffic control facilities.

It can take more than two years to fully certify a new-hire controller based on the facility’s assigned complexity level.