FAA, Newark airport and controllers
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Air traffic controllers earn about $160,000 on average, and the job doesn't require a college degree. Still, the government is short by 3,000 people.
The United States aviation industry continues to grapple with the worst air traffic controller shortage in nearly 30 years as a recent spate of incidents has thrust the high-stress profession into the spotlight.
Remarkable audio from air traffic control reveals the moment when personnel lost radar and radio signals while directing planes to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
The current ATC system "is based on an outdated technologies that are unable to meet" modern demands, an administration statement said.
President Donald Trump’s own policies have prompted departures of key staff and hurt morale at the aviation agency, complicating multi-billion dollar modernization plans.