FAA Speeds Up Controllers Hirings

To streamline the application process for air traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has created consolidated screening and testing centers to provide “one stop shopping” for prospective new controllers. Consolidating security clearances, medical screenings, and fingerprinting allows the agency to cut weeks off the application process. A controller job announcement last month attracted 3,000 applicants in just two weeks. The FAA wants to get them processed and in training as soon as possible. The Pre-Employment Processing Center (PEPC) couples screening and testing and rotates to FAA facilities where controller candidates are being interviewed. The first Center was set up at the regional FAA office in New York in January where more than 90 prospective controllers were interviewed. Individuals invited to come to the Centers are candidates chosen by centralized selection panels for further consideration. The first hires to participate in this process received job offers within two weeks and will soon start at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. Other Centers will be held in Florida, Atlanta, Fort Worth, and Chicago in the coming months. The FAA will hire more than 1,800 new air traffic controllers this year and increase total controller staffing to more than 15,000.