TRB Special Report: The Federal Aviation Administration’s Approach for Determining Future Air Traffic Controller Staffing Needs

Air traffic control is critical to aviation safety, though little is known about the relationship between controller staffing levels and aviation safety. The Federal Aviation Administration was charged with collecting and analyzing data on this relationship, which included accident and incident data and reports from controllers. This article reports findings from the National Academy of Science's study of the Federal Aviation Administration's methods for estimating the number of air traffic controllers needed for safe and cost-effective operations.