A Popular Midwest Airport Has The Most Understaffed Air Traffic Control Tower In America

U.S. air travel has been in a bit of a PR crisis lately, and it's leaving some folks thinking twice before flying. Following the January 2025 fatal crash between an American Airlines commercial flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, an NBC Washington report shared that the number of air traffic controllers on duty at the time was inadequate. While the report didn't state that's what directly caused the collision, it did note that one person had to take on the extra duty of being responsible for both the airplane and helicopter traffic. Then, in May 2025, massive cancellations and delays at Newark airport once again put concerns over controller shortages in the national spotlight. Now, a popular Midwest airport has been dubbed the most understaffed air traffic control tower in America.

According to Visual Capitalist, Rochester International Airport in Minnesota has fewer than half the number of required air traffic controllers. The airport should have 23 controllers but just has 10. While Rochester is currently the most understaffed, it's not the only one dealing with a controller shortage. As many as 128 airports are understaffed. One potential impact of these staffing shortages is that current controllers may have to work longer hours than usual, which could leave them too tired to perform the job safely. In other cases, it may cause delays or cancellations, like in the case of Newark Airport.

The FAA is responsible for staffing control towers, not the airports, and the reasons behind the shortage can vary. In their report, Visual Capitalist stated that it can take up to two to three years to become an air traffic control employee. They added that the long and stressful schedules can cause people to leave the industry early, and that controllers must retire by age 56. Plus, they noted that the industry may be behind due to training delays from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The good news is that the aviation industry is taking steps to combat understaffing issues and improve the modern airport experience. The FAA has partnered with several schools in the U.S. to offer an accelerated training program similar to the FAA Academy. The program would allow students to start working with the FAA more quickly after graduation than they would otherwise. In an interview with NPR, Michael McCormick, who runs this program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, shared just how much quicker this could bring in new hires. "Now we can start that process while they're a student early in their academic career. That shortens that hiring process from years down to weeks or months," McCormick shared.