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Transportation Secretary Questions ATC Retirement Age

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the move would help alleviate staffing shortages and potential safety risks.

 

Amelia Walsh

Updated Apr 17, 2025 6:35 PM EDT

On Wednesday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy raised the possibility of extending the mandatory retirement age for air traffic controllers, citing concerns over ongoing staffing shortages.

Speaking during a segment on FOX News, Duffy addressed several Department of Transportation priorities, including the limited pipeline of qualified air traffic controllers.

"We have too many controllers that retire after 25 years of service. And so we have to look and go, is this a national security issue? Is this a safety issue? And should these air traffic controllers be retiring after 25 years of service?" he said.

Currently, federal law mandates that controllers retire by age 56, based on research suggesting performance tends to decline beyond that age—potentially increasing the risk of serious operational errors.

Despite Duffy’s remarks, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) opposes raising the retirement age. The union argues that such a change wouldn’t solve the root of the staffing crisis. Instead, NATCA is advocating for increased recruitment, enhanced training programs, and stronger retention efforts to restore and maintain a robust controller workforce.