On Thursday, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy held a press briefing to discuss air traffic controller recruitment and retention.
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00:00Hey, everybody. I want to thank you for coming out today. I'm pleased to be here with the acting
00:11administrator of the FAA, Chris Rushalow, also with the president of the air traffic controllers
00:18union, Nick Daniels, Natka. Thank you both for being here with me. So there's been a lot of
00:22conversation recently about what's happening in America's airspace. And there are two components
00:29to the airspace. One is the infrastructure side. If you looked at the cabinet meeting yesterday,
00:36the president and I were talking about what do we do on infrastructure. We are going to have an
00:41announcement next week on our plan to build out a brand new air traffic control infrastructure system
00:49in the country. But that is not today. Because the second part of making sure our skies are safe
00:55and efficiently being used is what's happening with air traffic control. And in March, we announced
01:04an air traffic control supercharged system. How do we get more air traffic controllers to control our
01:10airspace? As many of you have reported, we're about 3,000 air traffic controllers short right now.
01:18Now, we do have enough controllers to control the airspace. There's a lot of overtime. As Nick will
01:23tell you, there's a lot of stress on the controllers. So we need more air traffic controllers to come
01:30into this profession. And so in March, we announced that we're increasing the salaries for those who
01:39are admitted into our academy, our air traffic controller academy. We increased our salaries by
01:4430%. We also shaved off five months from the hiring process. It was taking way too long. If you applied to be an air
01:51traffic controller, it could take over a year before you got a seat in the academy. And a lot of young people
01:57would go find a different career instead of waiting so long for their spot into the academy. And so we were able to
02:05shorten that timeline. So if you applied, you were able to more quickly go through the process and get in to the air traffic
02:12controller academy. So we've streamlined that process by five months. And then we've also prioritized the best
02:20qualified controllers or those who take the test, the entrance exam, those who are best qualified, got a
02:27higher preference to get into the academy. Right now, the washout rate is 35%. By taking in the best and the brightest
02:36on the entrance test, we're hoping that we'll be able to reduce that washout rate, get more young people
02:42through the academy, trained up, certified, and then in towers. So that's what we announced in March.
02:51And we now want to talk about the next phase of where we want to go with air traffic control. So
02:57today we're announcing that we are going to improve this pipeline
03:03for new hires into air traffic control. First off, the military, they train up a lot of air traffic
03:13controllers. We get a percentage of them that come in to civilian air traffic control. We have a plan
03:19to bring in more military air traffic controllers. I don't want them to go take a different job. I want
03:24them to come in and continue the skills that they've learned in the military, continue to use those
03:31skills in the civilian airspace. We have new opportunities for those military air traffic
03:37controllers, a better pathway into the system and a better pathway to pick locations that work for
03:48them. So that's going to be important, bringing more military air traffic controllers.
03:51We're going to provide incentives. So not only do we pay 30% more for those students who go to the academy,
04:01when you graduate from the academy, right, and you pass your, it's basically like a bar exam,
04:07you pass your exit exam to go into a facility, we're going to give those new graduates a $5,000 bonus.
04:16Again, incentivizing them to stick through the process, go through graduation, and then start the work of becoming a certified air traffic controller.
04:32We also want to reward academy graduates that are going to go to harder to fill locations.
04:39So one, I don't want to give a hard time to Albuquerque, but a lot of people don't want to go to Albuquerque.
04:46I wouldn't mind going to Albuquerque, but if there's harder places to staff up, we're going to give bonuses to controllers that are willing to go to harder staffing locations.
04:57Albuquerque might be one. So again, if we can't staff up locations, we're going to give bonuses to those locations to get air traffic controllers to go there.
05:08But I think the most important part of this, again, this is the phase that says, let's get more air traffic controllers in the pipeline, get trained up, and get certified.
05:17Well, it's going to take us time to do that. All of this is going to take time.
05:22But I thought, as I was thinking through this, I'm like, the key part of the solution is the current air traffic controllers that we have.
05:30So we have many air traffic controllers. They're fantastic. They're great at their jobs.
05:36They get to an eligible point of retirement, and they take that retirement.
05:40And so as this team has thought about, well, if we need to get more controllers in our towers, why don't we try to incentivize those really well-experienced air traffic controllers?
05:54Let's incentivize them to stay. Let's get them to stay on.
05:58Not only do we have that experience, but they can also help train up those younger, newer controllers coming into their facility.
06:06And so I'm happy to announce that we have struck a deal with NACA.
06:10They've been great partners through this process.
06:14And we are going to give an upfront substantial bonus for those controllers who are eligible to retire to actually stay on.
06:24And our hope is through this partnership with NACA and also with our supercharged efforts in the academy,
06:31which, by the way, if anyone's watching this and you're young or, you know, you're a parent or a grandparent,
06:37Nick will tell you air traffic controllers make really good money.
06:40It's a great career.
06:42The controllers I've talked to have said, you know, listen, it is stressful.
06:46It's a hard job. Really well-skilled and qualified men and women do this job.
06:50But the controllers I've talked to, they love their job.
06:54They love their hours. They love the work they do.
06:56They love the effort that they put in actually helps keep Americans safe, keep planes safe, efficiently use our airspace.
07:07So if you're looking for a great job, paying you well over $100,000 very quickly into your certification,
07:17air traffic control is a great place we're looking to hire as we go through this supercharge.
07:23So take a look at that, if you will, if you're a young person or if you're a parent or a grandparent,
07:28talk to your kids about air traffic control.
07:30The academy is about four months in training, and then you're out in a tower and you're making real money.
07:36So today, again, we are giving a bonus to keep on our experienced air traffic controllers who are eligible for retirement,
07:45and we are supercharging candidates into the academy.
07:50And, you know, if you're sitting here reporting like Grady is, we're paying people more money, right?
07:56A lot of this is incentivizing through dollars.
07:59And as you saw the last administration, we had a lot of inflation.
08:04And these financial incentives, we've already seen the benefits of keeping people excited about coming into air traffic control,
08:11into the academy and then graduating from the academy and getting into towers.
08:16But also it's important that our controllers who are about to retire, they can go take a second job.
08:25Our philosophy is, well, why not keep them in their current job and give them that bonus to stay?
08:29And I think we're going to see a real benefit to the airspace.
08:32And so, again, this is the phase of air traffic controllers.
08:38Next week, we're going to talk about the infrastructure on the airspace.
08:43And with that, I'd like to turn it over to a guy who has done just a fantastic job at the FAA.
08:49He's been a wonderful partner of mine.
08:52So, again, so knowledgeable, so insightful, and so important as we've negotiated and worked on this plan,
08:59the acting administrator of the FAA, Chris Rushawal.
09:02Thank you, sir.
09:06So, thank you, Mr. Secretary.
09:08And thank you, Nick, for being here today.
09:10For the opportunity to talk about what we're doing to strengthen our workforce
09:15and ensure the safety of the American flying public.
09:18First, I want to again thank President Trump and Secretary Duffy for placing their trust in me to run the FAA at this time.
09:27I also want to thank Secretary Duffy for his strong leadership and for tackling this longstanding challenge.
09:34I'm grateful that he's made the FAA at the top of his list to make sure we get the resources
09:40and provide the safest, most efficient transportation aviation system in the world.
09:45Secretary Duffy knows we need more safety professionals to strengthen our ranks to keep aviation flying high.
09:53But I'm most grateful today for our FAA employees, their work day in and day out,
09:59supporting everything from aviation safety to airports to air traffic control and commercial space.
10:06It's their commitment to the mission and to the flying public that helps keep our skies safe.
10:13I'm immensely proud to work alongside these dedicated professionals.
10:17With the Secretary's help, we are taking quick and decisive action in solving the nation's air traffic controller shortage.
10:25We've reduced hiring bottlenecks, increased the salaries of those who graduate from the academy,
10:31and prioritized those top-scoring academy grads, candidates, to make sure we recruit and train the best and the brightest to join the FAA team.
10:42And by streamlining the hiring and cutting the red tape, we've shaved months, as the Secretary mentioned, off the old process.
10:50The Secretary's supercharged hiring initiative is working.
10:53Less than 45 days after the recent announcement closed, one of the first applicants already has an academy start date next month.
11:03The outstanding work by our team to accelerate this process is a clear sign that this administration is leading in a profound way to transform our aviation system.
11:15Today, we're doubling down and offering new incentives for veteran military controllers, hiring more academy instructors,
11:24and offering extra help and innovative learning strategies for academy students.
11:29These efforts will get new air traffic controllers to the job much faster and keep our flying public safe.
11:37The work we do at the FAA isn't always easy, but it's vitally important to our nation.
11:42And again, I'm proud to work alongside such a dedicated and talented workforce.
11:48Together, we're building a stronger, safer, more efficient, and more innovative FAA.
11:55Thanks.
11:56Nick, turn it over to you.
11:58Thank you, sir.
11:58Yes, sir.
12:00Thank you, Secretary.
12:01Thank you, Acting Administrator Rochelleau.
12:04And good morning.
12:05Today is an important step forward in addressing the ongoing staffing shortages
12:10across the national airspace system.
12:13This new recruitment award and retention incentive program is not just a policy.
12:19This is a commitment to the dedicated men and women keeping our skies safe.
12:25It's a real, tangible move towards building and sustaining the workforce that America needs.
12:31We thank Secretary Duffy and Acting Administrator Rochelleau for their leadership and standing behind this profession.
12:37Their commitment to hiring, training, and then retaining the best and the brightest is exactly what this moment calls for.
12:46This is progress.
12:48But we know that staffing is one part of the bigger picture.
12:52Our air traffic control system also urgently needs technology upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
12:58These are longstanding challenges that we can no longer have delayed.
13:02The hardworking men and women who operate the United States aviation system deserve the most modern and most effective tools
13:11to ensure that they reduce risk and increase safety.
13:15Secretary Duffy has made it clear that tackling these issues is a top priority,
13:20and NACA stands ready to work with him, the Department of Transportation, the FAA, Congress,
13:27and all of the stakeholders to build a world-class aviation air traffic control system
13:32that the American people need and that the American people deserve.
13:36So thank you.
13:38Absolutely.
13:39Thank you, sir.
13:40If you have any questions for us, we're happy to take questions now.
13:43Yes.
13:45Yesterday, during the reconciliation process, the House Transportation Committee and its package
13:49included $12.5 billion for air traffic control upgrades that you envision, calling it a down payment.
13:56Is that $12.5 billion enough to fully fund your plan that's been under review at OMB,
14:00or are you going to request additional money from Congress?
14:03Yes.
14:03So I appreciate the question.
14:05We're going to have a broader press conference next week on what that plan looks like.
14:11But Congressman Graves has been fantastic in his leadership, understanding the problems that we face,
14:21looking for resources available to help fund what is sorely needed.
14:27I mean, we're 25, 30 years behind the curve on building a brand-new system.
14:32So, again, we'll talk about that next week.
14:34But I just want to say I appreciate his work and effort in putting a focus on this critical need
14:41for American infrastructure.
14:42Just to clarify, is this announcement today part of the plan that OMB has been reviewing,
14:46or is it totally separate?
14:47So this is the plan that we're talking about today, the increase in the bonus for air traffic controllers,
14:55the new money going to the academy, to the graduates, this is all money that we currently have in our budget.
15:01So OMB is looking at the plan.
15:05By the way, the announcement next week, I've already had a conversation, as you could tell,
15:10yesterday from the cabinet meeting.
15:13I've had a conversation with the president.
15:15I've laid out our ideas for a brand-new air traffic control system, which, by the way,
15:19the president, it's great to have leadership from the top.
15:22Before DCA, before he gave me this job, I've heard him for years talk about the problems
15:30within the American system and how he wants to fix it and, again, keep it the best in the world.
15:38And so his leadership and support has been critical as we've gone through this process.
15:43And I think with his leadership as well, we're going to get the support that we need from Congress.
15:47So, again, we're going to have a press conference next week on this very issue.
16:14We're talking about air traffic controllers.
16:15Once again, there's two parts to this.
16:17You need a system that is truly the envy of the world.
16:22It has to be rebuilt.
16:23But you also need great staff, well-trained, best and brightest staff in our towers controlling the airspace,
16:33which is what we're talking about today.
16:36So, but just I will make one quick comment.
16:38I think what the president was talking about is if you think about construction,
16:41you might have a project manager or a general contractor.
16:45They don't do all the work.
16:47They have subs.
16:49Those who have expertise in the different components of a construction project,
16:53I think he thinks about this project similar to many of the construction projects that he's been involved in.
17:01So, yes.
17:01Pete, on the team with CNN, it seems that the issues have been particularly acute for air traffic control in Newark.
17:09And on Monday, there were staffing issues and equipment issues.
17:13I just look now.
17:13There's a five-hour delay on average for flights going to Newark right now.
17:18They're calling out staffing and other equipment issues.
17:19Can you speak to the nature of the staffing issues?
17:22And can you talk about how the announcement today will get at that?
17:26And then also what needs to be done to fix the equipment there?
17:29What's the nature of the problem?
17:30So, there's a number of issues at play.
17:32And I'm not surprised by your question.
17:35Maybe, Chris, do you want to take that?
17:37Happy to.
17:39And thanks, Pete, for the question.
17:40So, clearly, this goes directly to what the secretary is talking about and why we're here today.
17:45We're focused on the technology piece of this and the staffing piece.
17:51So, both of those go together.
17:53And when we talk about Newark specifically and the outage or the interruption,
17:57we want to make sure that equipment is solid for the controllers that are coming to work every day
18:00so that they can depend on that equipment and making sure they're properly trained.
18:06Now, related to this specific incident, we have a team up there right now.
18:09They're doing an ongoing investigation in terms of the technology, the interruption itself.
18:14But, again, at the end of the day, we need to make sure the controllers have the proper equipment
18:20and that they're, obviously, appropriately staffed.
18:26And I would just note that when there's issues, you see delays, you see cancellations.
18:34Our airspace is safe because if there are issues, we don't fly.
18:40And that's why we can confidently say this is the safest mode of travel.
18:45But, again, the disruption, canceled flights or delayed flights, people get angry.
18:50They get annoyed.
18:51They get frustrated and rightfully so.
18:53But what I think you're seeing is you're starting to see cracks in the system.
18:58And you can see them in different locations.
19:00And it's our job, all of us working together, to not wait until there's a disaster.
19:07It's our job to actually see over the horizon what the issues are and fix it before there is an incident that we will seriously regret.
19:17And that's why we're here today, again, looking over the horizon.
19:20I know some of the forecasts have been hiring 3,000 controllers could take 10, 15, 20 years.
19:28So quickly in this space, this is not quick.
19:33But on the controller front, if this works as planned, I'm hopeful.
19:37And Nick and I, with Chris, we're hoping in three to four years we can get to full staffing, not 20 years.
19:43But, again, it is a thoughtful, concerted effort to go, how do you make up the gap?
19:48And we can't snap our fingers to make up the numbers.
19:53But it's the thoughtful work that goes in to say, I'm happy that at this moment, this team thought about solutions.
20:01So in a year and a half, you're seeing real results.
20:05Three years, you're hopefully seeing four years, you're seeing full staffing.
20:09And also, as we build this brand new system, you can't do that overnight as well.
20:15That's going to take time to do it methodically.
20:21We're going to learn as we go, probably with smaller facilities, not the larger facilities.
20:26And, again, we're still flying planes, landing planes, controlling airspace.
20:30So, again, the complication of this is probably one of the reasons why it was never done.
20:36And so, complication can't be, difficulty can't be our reason why we don't take action.
20:42Now, let me pass it off to the next administration, because that would be a dereliction of duty.
20:46Ready?
20:47For the incentives, how long do you expect them to stay in place?
20:52For our retirement-eligible air traffic controllers?
20:56That as well as the bonuses.
20:58Listen, I, you know, this is temporary.
21:02So do I see us needing this for 10 years?
21:05No.
21:06But for several years, yeah, I think we're going to incentivize these controllers to stay on.
21:11And, again, it's a nice bump of money that they're going to get.
21:15In the academy, I think the structural changes that we're making there are going to allow us to, again, the washout rate is important.
21:23You might get, again, for example, in the last fiscal year, there was 1,800 students that went to the academy.
21:33There was a washout rate of 35%.
21:34So they only actually graduated 1,100 young people from the academy.
21:41So it's not just getting more butts in seats, right, and thinking about how you staff it.
21:47It's also making sure you get the best people, the best qualified, so you reduce that washout rate.
21:53So the net number increases dramatically out of the academy in addition to, you know, NACA bringing more of their people online to stay longer.
22:06And then you just kind of touched on this, but obviously this is not a new problem.
22:10It's something that the previous administration was also trying to address.
22:13What do you think this administration is doing differently that could help you close the gap that they weren't able to do?
22:20So what I've mentioned, recognizing the problem and addressing the problem, not running from the problem is key.
22:28And so on improving the timeline, again, if you're 24 years old and you want to be an air traffic controller
22:36and you don't hear back for a year and you can't get a slot for two years from the date at which you applied,
22:44you're almost guaranteed you're going to go do something else.
22:46You're going to find a different career that we're able to streamline the time frame in which you apply
22:52to the time frame in which you get in to the academy.
22:56That is critical.
22:57And also what we've done is we are taking the best qualified.
23:01So those who score the best on the test.
23:04So if I have someone who scored 98 on the entrance exam compared to someone who scored 82,
23:09we're going to put the 98 into the academy, give them a seat before the 82 test score.
23:16And we think that's going to be key.
23:18One point I didn't mention, and this, when I was at Oklahoma City,
23:21some of the students brought this up and said, if you would help us with even some tutoring,
23:27if we need some extra assistance, if there's one component that we didn't get,
23:31if you could offer some assistance in tutoring, that would go a long way
23:34to making sure we're successful in staying in the program.
23:37And so that's part of this plan as well.
23:39It's like, do I have tutors in the library if you want to get some additional help
23:42on a portion of a class that you maybe didn't understand?
23:45Instead of just shrugging your shoulders and letting that student wash out,
23:49well, let's give them some extra support and see if we can save them
23:52and get them to graduate and get them to join next union, right?
23:57Yeah.
23:58Mr. Secretary, Tom Costello with NBC News.
24:00And I was with you at the academy a few months ago.
24:02There's a mandatory retirement age for controllers of 56.
24:06Have you considered readdressing that, potentially raising that retirement age?
24:11But also, you said that we're starting to see cracks in the system as it relates to Newark Airport.
24:16And we're heading into a busy summer travel season.
24:18Are these cracks in the system going to be manifesting themselves throughout the entire summer?
24:25I would tell you we also have heard that some of the problems at Newark also deal with controllers upset
24:31and simply we're saying they're too stressed out to work.
24:34So how much do you have a morale problem at Newark and Philly
24:37because you moved control space down to Philly?
24:40But then in addition, are we seeing cracks in the system that will last all summer
24:45and could impact summer travel season?
24:46Is that like one question with six parts?
24:48It's all at once.
24:49We asked as many as we can.
24:50Yes.
24:51No, but on the – so the first one is a really good question.
24:54So the mandatory retirement age is 56.
24:58I have the ability to grant an extension of that age if the controller gets a physical.
25:05But what you would note, and Nick was very astute to make this point to me,
25:11many of the controllers are retiring before the age of 56.
25:14So they can retire at I think the average age is if I'm right, 53, 52, somewhere in there.
25:21So we're out of the game at 56, which is why I've gone to Nick and said,
25:26how do we get those controllers at 52 and 53 and 54 to get them to stay on?
25:33What kind of incentive can I give them in the form of a bonus to continue on
25:39and maybe they'll stay another year, another two years?
25:43And as they stay longer and we're able to train more, that's how we're going to close this gap.
25:48And it's a patriotic move by the union and by the controllers.
25:52Our hope is that many of them will take us up on this and continue to serve the American people.
25:57In regard to the controllers up in – at Newark, maybe I'll let – if Nick wants to address that, you can talk about it.
26:08You know, I think this is a pivotal moment of seeing what the stresses and pressures of this career path are.
26:14And that is being recognized by this administration, and that's why we're eager to continue working together on it,
26:20is finding the solutions to these issues, and that is the need, as we spoke about, for modernization as well.
26:25Getting reliable equipment to the dedicated men and women that are frustrated when things aren't going right.
26:31But we do have to reduce capacity and ensure that we're managing the risk in the system
26:35in order to keep the levels of safety that the American people deserve.
26:38So, yes, every day that we take another investment, that we find another way to go out and modernize this system,
26:46it is overdue, it's absolutely needed, and will put us in a position to ensure that your flight departs on time,
26:52arrives on time, and is handled by the most professional workforce in the entire world.
26:56And maybe just, yeah, one other point on that.
27:04What you're going to see next week is a massive swath of unions to industry supportive of what we want to do.
27:16If you, any of you who follow Congress, there isn't a whole lot of bipartisanship at this point in Congress.
27:21Listen, Democrats and Republicans, House members and senators, there's a wide agreement that this has to be addressed.
27:33Again, there's always conversations about funding.
27:36That's for the Congress.
27:38We're laying out what we need to make sure this system is the best and continues to serve the American people.
27:46Yeah.
27:47Dave Sherwoodson from Reuters.
27:48Two questions I want to ask about DCA and New York City.
27:51So the major airlines have asked you to extend the slot waiver for the two years through 2027, given staffing issues.
27:57Are you going to do that?
27:59Sorry.
28:00Do you want to answer that question?
28:01Sure.
28:02I mean, I think the short answer to that is we've got, we had the request.
28:07We're working that within the department, both, as you probably are aware, a piece of that has to do with the FAA and the air traffic organization,
28:14specifically along with the department, the Office of Secretary of Transportation.
28:18So we're working through that.
28:20It certainly is being strongly considered, but I don't think we've come to a final decision on that.
28:26And I'm stressed at DCA, right?
28:28You replaced some of the managers there.
28:31There are some concerns about if the rate is too high, especially in the second half of the hour.
28:35There was a fist fight between two controllers.
28:37There was another incident recently involving a Delta plane that departed and came close to some Air Force jets that were doing a ceremonial flyover in Arlington.
28:46How have you addressed safety concerns at DCA and what else do you need to do to make sure those controllers aren't under too much stress?
28:53Yeah, I appreciate the question.
28:55So, so clearly, as you may remember, we took very quick action to make sure we reduce the complexity of that airspace immediately after the midair.
29:04And since that time, we've been looking, working closely with the controllers, with management, not to mention the operators within the system to ensure that we maintain that safety,
29:15that level of a safe approach, the clear airspace going forward.
29:20I personally have visited, Nick and I both went to DCA Tower to talk to the people, to talk to the management, to talk to the controllers, to understand what they're going through right now.
29:30And I believe we have a very strong plan in place as we consider, you know, particularly operations right now and through the summer.
29:38Just briefly, you just made some changes at Las Vegas Airport after a review showed safety concerns involving helicopters.
29:45Have you found any other concerns about helicopters at other airports or taking any other changes?
29:49That's a great question because, as you are likely aware, we've had this ongoing review of airspace throughout the nation.
29:57It's very important that as we find these areas that we need to act quickly on, such as Las Vegas, we're taking that action immediately.
30:05We're not done with that by any stretch.
30:07We will continue to work through the system to identify those areas and ensure that we put mitigations in place where we identify those risks.
30:15You know, I just wanted to highlight one of the points the acting administrator made there.
30:22You are seeing these different impacts at different airports because of our need to get to a modernization package.
30:31And as we've been talking here today about recruiting and retaining the air traffic controllers that we have.
30:36Ten hours a day, six days a week, four days off a month, the dedicated men and women are out there.
30:43The American workers are out there ensuring the safety of the system.
30:46And this administration is why we're eager to make the changes that we've been talking about for over a decade.
30:51This isn't something that happened overnight, and it's not going to be a snap of the finger in one answer that's going to get us out of it tomorrow.
30:57It's going to take this relationship and the commitment to these ongoing efforts, and we'll tackle them one by one as they continue to come up.
31:05For DCA alone, we probably have 15 different plans in action together that we have mutually agreed on, and it doesn't mean that fixes everything.
31:13It's another step in the right direction to making sure the American people have the system that they deserve.
31:18You know, just real quick on that, after DCA, Administrator Rushalow was dogged on the point of where else do we have points of conflict that have to be addressed.
31:33There were 85 very close near misses at DCA in the three years before, four years before this crash.
31:41Where else was that happening?
31:42Let's use every tool we have to identify those air spaces, which is what he's done.
31:48And the FAA is not done yet, but that's important.
31:51And just someone to ask the question about the summer, maybe it was your question about what's going to happen this summer.
31:57People, again, people have seen it takes longer to fly.
32:00There are more delays, and there is much more frustration.
32:03This didn't happen on January 20th.
32:06That's not when the date of, like, crisis in the airspace happened.
32:10It's been going on for years, if not decades.
32:13It's just that you have a team that's willing to stand before you and tell you the truth about what we have and what we need to make it right and what we're going to need from Congress to make it right.
32:26That's what we're doing, is leveling with the American people, because all of you fly.
32:32All of your families fly.
32:34And we owe it to you to level with you and with the Congress and with the administration to say, let's make the American story very different than what it could be if we didn't take action.
32:45Yes.
32:46Sarah Floss with CBS.
32:47Hey, Sarah.
32:47You just touched on summer travel.
32:49I just have a quick follow-up to that.
32:52Obviously, these changes, like you said, are going to take a bit.
32:55It's not going to happen overnight.
32:56We are heading into Memorial Day weekend.
32:58Is the current system up to the challenge?
33:01Some of these incidents have raised some concerns that it could not be.
33:04I would just say, yes, it is.
33:06So, again, you see when there's issues in the airspace, it gets shut down or traffic gets reduced.
33:13And then there's delays or there's cancellations.
33:15But the primary mission is safety.
33:19That's what we do here.
33:20And so, if it's not safe, Administrator Rushlow will shut it down.
33:26Air traffic controllers.
33:27Oh, you guys were sponsoring me.
33:29Yes.
33:30Sorry about that.
33:31But also, air traffic controllers, same way.
33:34We'll say, listen, this is too much.
33:35We have safety mechanisms throughout the whole system that make sure safety is paramount.
33:43But can you have more delays?
33:45Yeah, we're seeing more delays, which is also why, I mean, this is a huge part of our economy.
33:51Again, it's safety.
33:53If you make it more efficient, also, you have, you know, great rewards for, you know, economic activity as well.
34:02Yeah, I didn't get you yet.
34:02Hi, Allison Verspel from Bloomberg News.
34:04I just, I believe earlier you said hopefully by three to four years we'll have full staffing.
34:09Is there a specific target in mind, though, for when air traffic control will be fully staffed, when it's possible, considering retirements as well?
34:17So, there's variables in there.
34:19I can't give you an exact number, right?
34:20So, how many air traffic controllers who are eligible for retirement actually take our offer and stay?
34:26I hope it's going to be huge.
34:27And you saw Nick is very compelling.
34:29He's going to, you know, sell his controllers that they should stick with us and stay with us.
34:34How effective are we in dropping that washout rate at the academy?
34:38And, again, that's, it takes, you know, one to three years to train up those new controllers.
34:46I think those, we're reforming the way that, not the way we instruct, but how we're using our controllers at the academy.
34:54We're going to rejigger how that works that will allow us more capacity.
35:01And, again, that implementation, I don't have the numbers.
35:04I feel like that's what I've been saying, three to four years.
35:06But the plan we have in place, I think, is well-positioned to allow us to hit those numbers.
35:12Back there.
35:14Hi, Nathan Algren with the Associated Press.
35:17This is a question for the acting administrator, Rochelleau.
35:19So can you talk about how the FAA may be impacted by the deferred resignation program?
35:27And are there any other job cuts at the agency, including air traffic controls?
35:34Yeah, it's a fair question.
35:36There's certainly been some attention to that.
35:38But let me just start by saying we have an incredibly resilient workforce.
35:43It's such a pleasure to be back working with these people side by side.
35:47As some of you know, I was away from the department and the FAA for a while.
35:53I've been back with the leadership team, with the frontline workforce, and they are resilient.
35:58They are motivated.
35:59They care about what they do.
36:00And they're coming to work every day to do exactly that, to ensure the safety of the flying public.
36:07So we do have people coming and going.
36:10It is certainly one of those that we're working through to mitigate any impacts.
36:15But right now, we're very proud of the people we have in place.
36:18And like the Secretary has talked about, the best and the brightest are there,
36:22working every day to make sure that the American traveling public are doing that safely.
36:26And I know there can be, or was talked about, some exemptions for air traffic controllers under the DRP.
36:32Have any controllers still resigned, even if they were exempt?
36:35Yeah, that's a great question, too, because, as you may be aware, we've never stopped hiring controllers, safety inspectors, and engineers.
36:44That has continued since day one that we came on board.
36:49Certainly, as we look at DRP, controllers are not eligible for that.
36:53There are a number of those safety categories that we continue to hire for.
36:56So right now, as Nick and I have talked about a number of times, we're wanting to bring new people into that workforce and, obviously, retain the people that we have.
37:07So safety-critical positions are exempt.
37:10We're hiring more people into those safety positions, to the active administrator's point.
37:15Air traffic controllers, we are trying to hire more.
37:17We're not, I'm sorry, if Nick wants any of these guys to be able to take it, they can't.
37:21They're sticking with us.
37:25Laurie, R.R. Tony from the Washington Post.
37:27You mentioned the military, the controllers, the computer military.
37:30Can you talk a little bit about how that would work, how they would come into the system, what their training might be like, and do you have any idea how many numbers of them there could be?
37:38We used to get more military controllers, and I think we have to listen to why we're not getting the same numbers we did in the past.
37:46And when we hear them out, are there things we can do that allow them, when they're going to retire from the military, that they find us to be a good home?
37:58And if we listen to those who don't come to us and then make the necessary changes within our structure,
38:04I think that's a key point to bringing more of them into the FAA, into air traffic control.
38:12So any idea how many numbers, what the number could be, how many more you might think?
38:15I had that number, but I don't have it in front of me.
38:18We'll take you one.
38:20Yeah.
38:21But we get more than one, but we could follow up with a number for you on that.
38:24We've got time for one more, guys.
38:25Sorry.
38:25Yeah, thanks.
38:29Just one kind of follow-up question.
38:30So it sounds like a lot of the workforce issues here that you're talking about are really aimed at those who do hire us who are going through the academy.
38:37I'm curious if you could talk a little bit about the existing workforce of those folks who are already certified.
38:43Do you see any sort of, like, retention issues there?
38:45Do you have plans for future bonuses or sort of retention efforts on that as well?
38:50Well, I believe that NACA and the FAA just signed a contract in December, November.
38:58A new contract was signed.
39:00This is in addition to the new contract they did in the last administration.
39:03And I think the biggest issue that we've seen, again, there are more stressful jobs.
39:10These professions, these controllers are well-trained, and they get paid really well for the work that they do.
39:15And that's why the breaking point for us was, can we keep those experienced controllers at the age of retirement to stay on, whether it's a year or two years or three years longer?
39:28That's where we can make up the greatest ground, which is why we've come out with this proposal today.
39:32And so if you think about it, we have the inputs.
39:35We're improving that at the academy.
39:37And at the end of the cycle, trying to keep more of those experienced controllers with us longer.
39:42And those two things together are what I think are going to bridge the gap to get us to a place where we're getting 3,000 additional controllers to serve the American people.
39:53I'll do one more question.
39:53You had one in back.
39:54I want to follow up on that.
39:56Sorry, I didn't identify myself earlier.
39:58Sam O'Gazalek and Politico.
39:59You seem so eager, so I thought, well, one more question.
40:01No, I had to get it in.
40:03I hope it's a good question.
40:04Following up on the DRP.
40:05Is DOT planning to conduct their reduction in force this month?
40:10And if so, how many people are going to be laid off?
40:12So stay tuned.
40:13As we go through our plans on how we're going to deal with staffing at DOT, I'm sure you'll get our press release and be able to report on it.
40:21But this point has been made clear by the president that we want the DOT, we want all of government to be efficient.
40:29And what's the most efficient number that we need to do the job that meets the goals that's been set for us by the Congress, but also the expectations that the American people have for us.
40:44And I was up at the Philly Shipyard Monday.
40:47I think it was their Monday.
40:48And some people are concerned about, you know, like, we're losing people from the department.
40:54And the point is, this is not an employment agency.
40:58That's not what we're here for.
40:59We're here to build infrastructure in America.
41:02And if I'm able to do the same job with less people in this department, that means that I have more money for the roads and bridges that all Republicans and Democrats want in their district.
41:15I get calls all day long.
41:16They all want this infrastructure.
41:18I'll have more money to build a brand new air traffic control system.
41:21I'll have more money to help with the bonus for air traffic controllers.
41:25I'll have more money for rail and pipelines and ports.
41:30All the things we do here.
41:31If I can do it more efficiently, the money doesn't evaporate.
41:35It's actually more money that I get to put into projects, which is why, in the end, when Congress passed their legislation for infrastructure,
41:45they debated a lot of requirements that we should have and when we spend money, how we spend money.
41:50And they actually took those out.
41:52So I've complied with Congress to say, we're not going to put all these green requirements in our notice of funding opportunities.
41:58We're not going to make all these greener social justice requirements, which means that we can build these projects for less money.
42:07And then if we staff here with less people, a more efficient team, that means that you get more projects done, which is what we should be doing in America.
42:16And so that's the president's vision.
42:18How much can we build big, beautiful infrastructure, big and beautiful, with the appropriate amount of money?
42:27And so that is the focus.
42:28It's not about letting people go.
42:31And it's about getting us to a workforce that can do the job to serve the American people, accomplish the mission, and do it effectively.
42:40And the extra money we have goes back into projects that America wants us to spend money on.
42:47And so with that, thank you all for coming out.
42:49I appreciate it.
42:50Can you say one thing about the real ID implementation?
42:53Are you monitoring that at all?
42:54Are you concerned about people not getting their IDs?
42:56That's for Kristi, no.
42:56I know, but even still.
42:59Thank you, guys.
43:26Thank you, guys.