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Jayapal urges FAA to address air traffic controller work conditions
Lawmakers cite chronic understaffing, excessive overtime, and safety risks amid rising air travel demand.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 10, Feb 2026
- 14:27 EST
- 15
Rep. Pramila Jayapal / X/@RepJayapal
Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal led a bipartisan appeal urging the Federal Aviation Administration to prioritize the health and working conditions of air traffic controllers as the agency works to address persistent staffing shortages nationwide.
In a letter dated Feb. 9 to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, Jayapal and Representative Nick Begich said chronic understaffing has forced controllers into extended shifts and heavy overtime, raising concerns about fatigue and aviation safety.
Also Read: U.S. FAA to spend $6 billion on air traffic telecom, radar
“For too long, controllers have struggled to use the paid time off that they earned and have experienced scheduling practices that rely too much on overtime to overcome staffing shortages,” the lawmakers wrote, urging FAA to prioritize worker well-being as it implements provisions of the 2024 FAA Reauthorization law, which aims to expand and stabilize the air traffic controller workforce.
Jayapal and her colleagues pointed to reauthorization provisions requiring the FAA to hire the maximum number of controllers annually, modernize staffing models, expand training through simulator installations, and update aeromedical policies to better support mental health.
However, they said most air traffic control facilities remain critically understaffed as those measures are implemented.
“Nationwide, controllers ensure the safe and efficient movement of roughly 45,000 daily flights serving nearly 3 million passengers and cargo operations 24 hours per day, every day of the year,” the members wrote.
The lawmakers noted that over the past decade, the number of certified air traffic controllers has declined by about 6 percent, even as flight volumes have increased by roughly 10 percent. They said stress and fatigue linked to understaffing and mandatory overtime are recognized risk factors in aviation safety and have contributed to low morale across facilities.
The letter asks the FAA to provide Congress with a timeline for reaching full staffing, outline steps to reduce reliance on mandatory overtime, improve access to paid leave, strengthen fatigue risk management systems, and commit to publishing controller staffing data on a quarterly basis.
Concerns over air traffic controller shortages have intensified amid broader scrutiny of the FAA’s workforce capacity, with aviation safety experts and watchdog agencies warning about training bottlenecks, attrition, and extended work schedules at major facilities as air travel demand continues to grow.
“In order to maintain the safest, most efficient aviation system in the world, it is vital that the FAA prioritize the health and well-being of air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter was signed by more than 40 House members, including Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, Adam Smith, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and others.
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