The FAA is recruiting air traffic controllers. What to know

The federal government isn’t hiring for many positions these days — except air traffic controllers.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced plans last week to “supercharge” hiring efforts after a recent slew of fatal air crashes drew national attention to staffing shortages at many of the country’s airports.

The crashes include incidents in Arizona. The state has seen a spate of aviation disasters in recent weeks, including a midair plane collision that killed two people near Tucson and a runway crash in Scottsdale that killed a pilot and injured others. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the busiest in the state, has seen nine close-call incidents in the past decade where planes nearly collided in midair.

The new initiative aims to streamline the hiring process for air traffic controllers, shaving about four months off of the overall timeframe. Officials said they would also increase starting salaries for controllers, who direct planes while they are in the sky and on the ground in crowded airspaces.

“This staffing shortage has been a known challenge for over a decade, and this administration is committed to solving it,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, adding that the position is “one of the best, most rewarding jobs in America” and that there is a “urgent need to do all that we can to recruit more people to join in our shared mission of safety in our skies.”

Want to apply? Here’s what to know

Applications to join the new air traffic controller initiative are open through March 17.

Requirements are numerous. The FAA has rigorous medical standards for those interested in the role, and applicants may be disqualified if they have health conditions like hearing loss, heart disease or certain mental illnesses.

Applicants must:

• Speak English fluently and clearly.

• Be younger than 31 years old.

• Have at least one year of full-time work experience or one year of higher education, or a combination of the two.

• Be physically and mentally fit.

• Meet standards for vision, hearing, cardiovascular, neurological and psychiatric health.

Trainees are to be schooled at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. On graduation, they will be assigned to an air control tower at one of the nation’s airports.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Air traffic controllers wanted despite federal layoffs. What to know