FAA cuts air traffic controller target by 2,000 amid overtime surge

The FAA said it will cut its air traffic controller staffing target to 12,563 from 14,633 and modernize scheduling to curb soaring overtime costs and improve efficiency. About 11,000 certified controllers are working across 300+ facilities, with roughly 4,000 in training. A National Academies report cited a >300% rise in overtime since 2013 (to over $200m) and flagged workforce misallocation and inefficient schedules. The move aims to reduce overtime and shift-to-shift downtime, which could lower operational costs for the FAA and affect airline operations, labor negotiations and service reliability; vendors of workforce-management technologies may also see demand.