WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced that the Federal Aviation Administration and National Air Traffic Controllers Association have reached a deal to provide air traffic controllers with a 2.8 percent pay increase following key workforce reforms.
In the Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act of 2026, Congress directed to FAA to tie a pay increase to measurable improvements in operational efficiency.
Improvements include Timecard Tracking, Align Staffing with Demand and Improved Reassignment Process.
Most federal employees are required to 'badge in' and 'badge out' at their place of work. This approach will now be applied to air traffic facilities to ensure managers have the data they need to better track training and safety needs.
Local managers and union representatives will develop shift guidelines based on forecasted workload and operational requirements. This will ensure more productive controller schedules that maximize coverage during peak traffic hours.
Controller reassignments will now focus on where the staffing needs are the most severe. Past changes to the controller reassignment process resulted in significantly more controllers transferring to locations with minimal shortages.
Together, these changes will improve controller quality of life, strengthen coordination between managers and frontline employees, make better use of the FAA's existing workforce, and improve operational efficiency to keep America's skies safe, Federal Aviation Administration said in a press release.
The pay increase is retroactive to the beginning of the year, it added.
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