The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reached an agreement with Vaughn College in New York to join the Enhanced Air Traffic – Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program. Vaughn College is now the fifth school approved by the FAA to deliver this extensive curriculum and utilize advanced training technology similar to what is provided at the FAA’s Air Traffic Controller Academy in Oklahoma City, marking the first such institution in the Northeast to participate.
The program necessitates that students enrolled in the Enhanced AT-CTI schools successfully complete the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA), fulfill the FAA's medical and security criteria, and pass performance evaluations to graduate. After fulfilling these conditions and obtaining an endorsement certificate, the graduates will report directly to an FAA facility to start their training.
This approach contrasts with the Standard AT-CTI program, where graduates are sent to the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City and can skip the introductory Air Traffic Basics Course.
With its March 2025 hiring campaign, the FAA has already qualified and referred over 8,320 candidates to the ATSA. The FAA also maintains a year-round hiring opportunity for experienced controllers from military and private sectors. They are also advancing training experiences through updated simulators to help expedite new hires through the training process more efficiently.
The FAA emphasizes its commitment to recruiting top-tier talent to bolster their controller workforce. "Controllers’ work is critical to meeting our safety mission, and we’ve made the hiring process more efficient than ever," stated an FAA official.
For more information, Chris Wilbanks, the FAA Deputy Vice President of Safety and Technical Training, addresses frequently asked questions about Enhanced AT-CTI schools.
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