The Federal Aviation Administration has exceeded its Fiscal Year 2026 goal, hiring 2,235 air traffic controller trainees, the most in FAA history. The record follows a gamer-recruitment campaign that drew more than 12,000 qualified Americans to apply within 24 hours. “Meeting this year’s hiring goal is an important milestone, but it’s not the finish line,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “We are focused on continuing to bring the best and the brightest people into the profession, giving them the training and tools they need to succeed, and building a stronger, more resilient air traffic control workforce.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s hiring effort is on track to add at least 8,900 new controller trainees through 2028. The FAA expanded onsite Academy training, with June seeing the highest number of air traffic academy students in its history, and more than 1,300 trainees have already graduated this fiscal year. The agency’s 2026-2028 workforce plan calls for hiring at least 2,300 new trainees in FY27 and 2,400 in FY28, alongside streamlined hiring, expanded training capacity and new recruiting partnerships with colleges, universities and technical schools.