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The Trump administration’s Department of Transportation is raising standards for applicants seeking to become air traffic controllers, a move officials say will reduce the profession’s high washout rate.
Meanwhile, the department argued that the Biden administration’s decision during his first term to lower standards for applicants contributed to the higher attrition rate, while inflating the numbers of candidates entering the profession.
“By eliminating the Best Qualified category and lowering the standard for how top scorers were defined, Biden and Buttigieg juiced the numbers to make it seem like they were making a dent in the air traffic controller shortage,” a Department of Transportation spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
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An air traffic control student practices radio communication during a live simulation exercise. (FOX News)
According to the DOT source, the Biden administration scrapped the “Best Qualified” tier for candidates who scored 85% or better on their Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) exam. That standard was replaced with a broader “Well Qualified” category that included candidates who scored at least 80%, according to an internal agency PowerPoint from 2023, shared with Fox News Digital.
“They lowered the standard from 85% to 80% to be best qualified … to get these young people into the academy,” Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told the New York Post’s Miranda Devine, referring to the Federal Aviation Training Center located in Oklahoma City.
Under the second Trump administration, air traffic controller academy standards reverted to the four-tier system that includes “Best Qualified” for scores of 90% or above, “Well-Qualified” for scores between 85% and 89%, “Qualified” for scores between 70% and 84% and “Not Referred” for scores below 70%.
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A DOT official said distinguishing top performers and allowing those with the highest scores to get first pick at training assignments makes it more likely candidates will complete the academy. Different airspaces require different training regimens, the source noted.
The official cited a Transportation Department report from before Trump’s return to office that warned, “Although the lower score selection may assist with increasing the number of applicable candidates to support the FAA’s hiring goals, there is a possibility that it may not contribute to better graduation and program success rates.
The Trump administration’s Department of Transportation is increasing standards for air traffic controller applicants, arguing weaker standards under former President Joe Biden were not improving the shortage the profession is facing. (Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images)
“[The Biden administration] made it harder to identify the best and brightest and exacerbated the washout rate,” the spokesperson said. “Secretary Duffy’s No. 1 priority is safety, which is why he’s restored the proper standards and prioritized the best and brightest for placement at the academy as part of his supercharge initiative.”
Earlier this year, Pete Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary under Biden, said on social media that “we did not change the rigorous standard for becoming a certified air traffic controller,” calling those who were saying as much “mistaken or lying.”
“We did increase funding & training, and grew the ATC workforce after years of declining numbers, including under Trump,” Buttigieg added.
Former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks to reporters from Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington, D.C., during a briefing about busy holiday air travel. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Buttigieg said in response to criticism about weaker standards that the pre-admission Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) exam “has nothing to do with the standards of becoming a certified ATC.”
“There is still a minimum standard of qualification, and that line hasn’t changed. And you still have to take a test. And that test hasn’t changed,” the spokesperson said.
Buttigieg’s spokesperson also described the accusations from the Trump administration as “a desperate attempt to deflect” questions about whether the air traffic controller shortage is getting worse under Trump.
“The fact is, certified controller staffing fell during Trump’s first term,” the spokesperson said. “But under Secretary Buttigieg’s watch, the FAA reversed years of staffing declines, meeting an aggressive hiring goal last year and creating the momentum to meet an even more aggressive hiring goal for this year.”
