Tech billionaire Elon Musk is calling on retired air traffic controllers to return to work as the country faces a growing shortage of workers in the field. His plea comes as incidents of near-collisions and plane crashes have been rising, following the Trump administration’s firing of hundreds of workers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“There is a shortage of top-notch air traffic controllers. If you have retired, but are open to returning to work, please consider doing so,” Musk said in a post on X, the social media platform he owns.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration began laying off hundreds of FAA employees, including those responsible for radar systems and landing and navigational aid maintenance. This decision has raised concerns, especially as the FAA struggles to maintain safety standards in the air.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the layoffs, explaining that air traffic controllers were not affected by these cuts. He stated that fewer than 400 workers were let go as part of efforts to reduce government size, cut costs, and improve efficiency.
However, these cuts came just weeks after a deadly accident at Reagan Washington National Airport, where an American Airlines plane collided with a Black Hawk helicopter before landing. The crash killed all 67 people on board and was one of the deadliest U.S. aviation accidents in the past two decades. This tragedy has put the spotlight on the safety risks that arise when staffing levels are low.
In response to the growing concerns, Duffy said he plans to allow air traffic controllers to work past the mandatory retirement age of 56. “I’m going to make an offer to air traffic controllers to let them stay longer, pay them more, give them a bonus, keep them on the job, make the system safer, alleviate the pressure on the controllers,” Duffy said during a February interview. “They will make more money.”
With the FAA still needing to fill around 3,000 open positions, Musk’s call for retired controllers to come back is an urgent appeal to address the ongoing staffing crisis.
President Trump has also promised to discuss potential legislation aimed at improving the country’s air safety systems. “We’re going to do a great computerized system for our control towers. Brand new, not pieced together, obsolete,” Trump said at a National Prayer Breakfast earlier this month. “We spent billions and billions of dollars trying to renovate an old broken system instead of just saying, ‘Let’s cut it loose, and let’s spend less money and build a great system,’” he added.
As the nation continues to face challenges with air traffic control staffing, incidents like near-collisions and crashes highlight the urgent need for experienced controllers to step back into the workforce.
