Why do air traffic controllers have to retire at 56?

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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Being responsible for the safety of aircraft and their passengers may be stressful and exhausting. To prevent burnout, the FAA requires controllers to retire at age 56.

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Air traffic controllers must remain focused and react quickly to conditions that change frequently. Being responsible for the safety of aircraft and their passengers may be stressful and exhausting. To prevent burnout, the FAA requires controllers to retire at age 56.

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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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But it can also be a high-stress job, and becoming an air traffic controller involves a grueling training process that can typically take between 18 months and three years. The training requires a series of tests, skills assessments, and both physical and psychological exams.

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Applicants to air traffic controller positions who are maintaining 52 weeks of ATC experience involving the full-time active separation of air traffic after receiving an air traffic certification or ATC facility rating, must be age 35 or below on closing date of the announcement.

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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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The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic also contributed to the staffing issues at the FAA, and according to the audit, the pause on air traffic control training prevented any further increase in staffing. Training has resumed, which means there are more controllers in training, especially at critical facilities.

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Research has shown that when controllers remain on position for more than two hours without a break, performance can deteriorate rapidly, even at low traffic levels. Many national regulations, therefore, require breaks at least every two hours.

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There are limited exceptions, but the FAA through research has determined that the older a person is, the harder it is for them to complete the training. The agency does hire people up to age 35 if they already have experience as an air traffic controller.

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The highly logical and organized Introverted-Sensing-Thinking-Judging (ISTJ) Myers-Briggs test type is often a good fit for this career.

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Fortunately, for most professional pilots and Air Traffic Control officers, such events are uncommon but when they do occur it is important appropriate action is taken to ensure flight safety is not compromised and for the benefit of the individual(s) involved.

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For example, in a large airport tower, several controllers may be speaking with different pilots at the same time. Math skills. Controllers must be able to do arithmetic accurately and quickly. They often need to compute speeds, times, and distances, and they recommend heading and altitude changes.

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