FAA To Test Moving Contract Towers Into Agency Operation

Why It Matters

By bringing contract towers under FAA control, the agency can address critical controller shortages, improve safety oversight, and align staffing targets with growing air traffic demand. The program also demonstrates federal commitment to modernizing the National Airspace System.

Key Takeaways

• FAA pilot targets two contract towers for direct FAA control
• Bozeman and Mesa selected due to staffing shortages
• Program funded with $6 million from FY2026 appropriations
• Full staffing goal lowered to 12,563 controllers through 2028
• Safety analysis required within six months after each transition

Pulse Analysis

The 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act mandated a shift toward greater federal oversight of contract air‑traffic control towers, prompting the agency to unveil a pilot program that will transition two busy facilities to FAA staffing. This effort reflects a broader strategy to close the gap between rising flight volumes—up roughly 10 percent over the past decade—and a dwindling controller pool, which has fallen about 6 percent. By integrating contract towers, the FAA hopes to streamline training standards, improve operational consistency, and reinforce safety protocols across the national network.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport and Mesa Gateway Airport were chosen after intense lobbying from local lawmakers who highlighted chronic understaffing and reduced tower hours. Both airports rank among the nation’s busiest contract towers, with Mesa previously identified as the 37th busiest overall. The $6 million earmarked in the FY2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act will fund the pilot’s initial phase, which is slated to span 29 to 44 months. The transition plan requires that each tower submit a comprehensive safety analysis to Congress within six months of FAA takeover, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Beyond the immediate operational changes, the program signals a recalibration of the FAA’s long‑term workforce objectives. The revised controller workforce plan now targets 12,563 certified professionals—a reduction from the earlier 14,633 goal—while maintaining aggressive hiring targets of 2,200 to 2,400 new controllers annually through 2028. This nuanced approach balances fiscal realities with the imperative to sustain safe, efficient air travel, positioning the FAA to better manage future traffic growth and mitigate the risk of controller shortages nationwide.