Do airlines pay for ATC?

As currently run by the FAA, America's ATC system is funded by excise taxes on transportation and fuel that are little known to the public.



Airlines do pay for Air Traffic Control (ATC) services, but the method of payment varies significantly by region. In the United States, ATC is managed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and airlines contribute through federal excise taxes on passenger tickets, fuel taxes, and various cargo waybill taxes rather than direct "per-flight" fees. These funds go into the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. However, in much of the rest of the world, including Europe and Canada, ATC is managed by privatized or semi-autonomous "Air Navigation Service Providers" (ANSPs) like Eurocontrol or Nav Canada. These organizations charge airlines direct overflight fees and terminal navigation charges based on the weight of the aircraft and the distance flown through their airspace. These fees are a significant operational expense for airlines, often totaling billions of dollars annually. While passengers don't see an "ATC fee" on their receipt, the cost is built into the base fare and surcharges of every commercial flight to cover the immense infrastructure and staffing required to keep the skies safe.

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Most of the FAA's budget is financed from the Airport & Airway Trust Fund, which receives its revenue from aviation excise taxes on airline tickets, cargo, and general aviation fuel.

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Although air traffic controllers may not get free flights like flight attendants do, they still have attractive employee benefits. For example, their employers often give them permanent discounts which they can use to buy tickets and other products that the airport or a specific airline carries.

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Air traffic control is a high-pressure job that requires quick thinking and decision-making in high-stress situations. Demanding work schedules. Air traffic controllers often work long and irregular hours, including overnight and weekend shifts, which can be challenging for maintaining a work-life balance.

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Top 6 Benefits of Being an Air Traffic Controller
  • Earn an excellent salary.
  • Ongoing learning and development.
  • Benefit from rewarding work.
  • Work a respected job.
  • You get plenty of breaks.
  • Highly transferrable skills.


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Piloting, especially on large, complex aircraft, is largely a matter of training and practice. Talent is required, of course, but mostly you just have to put your hours in. In that sense, training and qualifying to be an airline pilot is more rigorous than becoming an ATC at a busy facility.

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Most air traffic controllers work for the federal government and are employed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

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Compared to most occupations, those who work as an Air Traffic Controller are usually higher in their Enterprising and Conventional interests. Air Traffic Controllers typically have very strong Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects.

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Being an air traffic controller is an extremely high-stress job, with workers responsible for the movement and direction of thousands of lives onboard commercial and general aviation aircraft every day.

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Air traffic controller is a six-figure job that doesn't require a four-year degree. People with this position are responsible for making sure that aircraft are operating at a safe distance from each other.

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(a) The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft. (b) In an in-flight emergency requiring immediate action, the pilot in command may deviate from any rule of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency.

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3,177 newly hired controller candidates received training at the FAA Academy. Of these, only 98 candidates (3.1 percent) failed Academy training.

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Traditionally a pilot at a regional airline might start out earning less than $50,000 per year, but get hired on by a major airline and that goes up quickly into the six figures, and well over $300,000 for senior captains flying widebody aircraft overseas. Some earn over $400,000.

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the median U.S. pilot salary at $211,790 in 2022. This means 50% of pilots earn more than this, and 50% earn less. However, there are pilots working for major airlines making more than $700,000 per year.

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On top of contollers' rocky history, federal law requires that they retire at 56, in part because controllers have to stay current on advancing technology. The Federal Aviation Administration argues burnout gets more acute for workers by their mid 50s.

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And then there's the issue of age: In the US, air traffic controllers are required to retire at the age of 56, and the FAA won't hire anyone older than age 31, because they want candidates to have at least a 25-year career path. “We have 1,200 fewer air traffic controllers today than we had 10 years ago,” says Freeman.

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Controllers train for many years to qualify for the job, and only around 1% of applicants make it through to qualify. Initially, a controller will spend approximately 12 months studying both the practical and theoretical sides of air traffic control at a specialist college.

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