Ohio State joins effort to train next generation of air traffic controllers

By Farah Siddiqi, Nadia Ramlagan

A national shortage of air traffic controllers is putting pressure on flight safety and operations, and Ohio is stepping up to help.

Ohio State University is in the final stages of becoming an Federal Aviation Administration certified Collegiate Training Initiative program to help train new controllers. Melanie Dickman, a lecturer at OSU’s Center for Aviation Studies, said the goal is to create more pathways into the profession and ease the strain on the system.

"Because that’s such a bottleneck right now," said Dickman, "we are hoping that having some of these CTI programs throughout the country is going to help alleviate that shortage a little bit."

The FAA Academy in Oklahoma City is currently the sole training site for most new controllers. Only about 10% of applicants meet entry requirements, and around 30% fail to complete the program.

Ohio State’s program will allow graduates to skip the first classroom phase of FAA Academy training. Dickman said they hope to eventually offer an even more advanced track, what the FAA calls an enhanced CTI designation.

"Our goal is to achieve this enhanced CTI status within the next three years," said Dickman. "If that assessor signs them off, then they can go directly into an actual facility. So they can bypass the FAA Training Academy altogether."

Ohio State expects to complete its initial certification by the end of this summer. Dickman said if more universities follow suit, it could help reduce controller shortages nationwide, and make the skies safer for everyone.