Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University launched a first-of-its-kind associates program, aimed at fast tracking employment opportunities for students seeking a career in air traffic control.
The Associate of Science in Air Traffic Management program, set to officially launch this August, is a part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Enhanced Air Traffic Controller Training Initiative (AT-CTI).
Last November, the FAA signed its initial agreement with the Daytona-based university to implement the Enhanced AT-CTI program. Under this initiative, Embry-Riddle first established its Bachelor of Science in Air Traffic Management this spring, which had its first graduates in April.
The four-year bachelor degree program currently trains students on En Route and Terminal operations, while the newly established two-year associates program will focus on Tower training. Students must also pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) exam and satisfy the medical and security requirements of the Enhanced AT-CTI program.
“Our Air Traffic Management graduates set the gold standard for reliability, safety and excellence,” said Dr. Alan Stolzer, dean of the College of Aviation on the Daytona Beach Campus. “This program will maintain that same standard for excellence when educating these students to serve in our nation’s air traffic control facilities.”
The Enhanced AT-CTI opportunity was established to allow authorized institutions the ability to provide students with FAA-quality air traffic control training, allowing them to bypass the agency’s academy in Oklahoma City. Graduates will be immediately placed into training at a local air traffic facility. Embry-Riddle is currently one of seven schools a part of the Enhanced AT-CTI program.
Recent incidents, including a fatal collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January and system outages at Newark Liberty International Airport in April, have brought issues with air traffic control into the American spotlight. This month, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced a search for innovators to lead the creation of a brand new air traffic control system.
Duffy has also introduced the “supercharge” package in hopes to boost the air traffic control workforce. Among the benefits in the package is a 30 percent increase in the starting salary for air traffic academy trainees, a move that looks to attract more qualified candidates to air traffic programs like the Enhanced AT-CTI curriculum at Embry-Riddle.
