FAA proposes to hire 2,300 air traffic controllers in budget request

April 6 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it is proposing to hire 2,300 air traffic controller trainees as it works to address a persistent lack of personnel.

The FAA is about 3,500 fully certified air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels. At the end of September it employed 13,164 controllers -- or 6% fewer controllers than it did a decade earlier. Many controllers are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks and the FAA's air traffic control training academy faces serious issues with retaining students.