America desperately needs more air traffic controllers. So why is it so tough to hire them? [Video]

The U.S. air traffic control system has been stretched nearly to its breaking point by a decades-long staffing shortage. It’s causing problems not just for the air traffic controllers that remain but the flying public at large.And it won’t get better any time soon.The Federal Aviation Administration, which runs the air traffic system, stepped up the pace of hiring in 2024 under President Joe Biden. But even though 2,000 qualified applicants were hired last year, they might only just barely replace the 1,100 who left the job either through retirement or due to the heavy toll the stressful job takes on those who enter the field.That’s because nearly half of those hired in any given year will wash out of the program before they get to actually control aircraft after about three years from their initial start date.So even with an increase in the pace of hiring, it could take …