LOGAN, Utah — The longest federal government shutdown in history exacerbated a challenge for the aviation industry: a shortage of air traffic controllers.
While the Federal Aviation Administration allowed more flights to take off and land across the country after the shutdown ended earlier this week, the shortage of air traffic controllers remained an issue.
In Spring 2024, Utah State University’s aviation program started the air traffic control minor to help teach students the basics of air traffic.
The goal is to help teach pilots to communicate better and allow more people to pursue this as a career — to make flying safer overall.
"For as long as I've been an air traffic controller, we’ve always been undermanned,” said USU Professor Aaron Whittle.
Dr. White worked for over 20 years in air traffic control.
"I think it takes a unique person that can manage stress, can be quick thinking, that has great communication skills, that can multitask,” he said.
"It doesn’t take a lot to shut things down, and to get planes where they can’t move,” said Alec Walker, a student at USU, studying aviation management, with a minor in air traffic control.
He wants to help fill an important gap.
"If I get into it, if I can go step into a tower, and start telling planes where to go, my life will be complete,” he said.
Through the course, to learn what to say and how to say it, students start with flying planes on a practice mat and then learn in a simulator.
"Being able to come in here and practice and get that phraseology right, is going to give me a bit of a step up when I go to air traffic control training school,” said Walker.
The minor does not fully certify students to become air traffic controllers, but sets them up to train at the FAA facility in Oklahoma City next.
That’s where Alec is off to, once he gets through a couple more tests. In May, he was selected by the FAA to train at their facility.
He is one of 4 students from the program who have been chosen so far.
"It’s such a high rewarding career field, that few people get to participate in,” said Whittle. "So we’re just lucky and its fantastic to be able to see the students' enthusiasm, obviously it raises my enthusiasm too.”
Walker said the shutdown did not deter him.
"I’m conflicted,” he said. “It’s sad that they don’t get paid, but you know, that is an incredibly important job, they need to show up, I get why they have to show up.”
