Since its inception in early 2014, the Association of Collegiate Training Institutions, ACTI, has sought to unify FAA certificated colleges and universities with one voice of advocacy for our ATC students & graduates in pursuit of their career aspirations as motivated, dedicated air traffic control specialists.In that spirit of commitment to safety, efficiency and unquestioned professionalism the ACTI WEBB Award for Aviation Excellence recognizes and acknowledges those individuals, elected officials, staffers and selfless aviation proponents for their steadfast support & guidance pursuant to our mission.
ACTI has awarded Congressmen Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Randy Hultgren (R-IL), and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) the WEBB award.
Congressmen Lipinski was not available at the time to accept his award.
The Federal Aviation Administration has responded to the Association’s first Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request which sought diversity data concerning previous hiring bids. The request specifically sought 2015 Final Offer Letter information. The FAA had previously released the diversity information for the 2014 Bid to another requestor. Now, the agency claims that no records can be found for the 2015 Bid. ACTI has attempted to remediate this issue with the agency but, thus far, it has not changed course. ACTI will continue to press for the information and seek legal action if needed.
ACTI announces that it has begun submitting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). ACTI will submit requests for the purpose of gathering more information concerning the hiring process, the previous process, the changes, and the results. ACTI will use the information gathered to research the changes and the results and publish its findings based on the raw data received from the FAA.
Our first FOIA request was submitted Friday, February 10, 2017. We requested a fee waiver for academic and public interest purposes. As of February 17, FAA has not acknowledged our request.
Although ACTIs goal is to obtain the information through the administrative process, ACTI may pursue litigation against FAA for future failures to comply with the Act.
ACTI has worked with the Federal Aviation Administration to establish a process for applicant recommendation letters for those applying as CTI under Pool 1 for the 2016 Bid Announcement.
The FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 affected the ATCS hiring process. As a result of this legislation, candidates who graduated from a Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) program are required to submit proof of graduation and an appropriate recommendation from the CTI institution to the FAA.
The FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act of 2016 includes key provisions which begin to reverse the hiring concerns for our CTI students and graduates. Primarily, the Act removes the biographical assessment from the application and allows for those who aged out due to the FAAs hiring changes an extra chance.
ACTI will continue to advocate in Congress for additional relief for CTI students and graduates.
A Committee hearing was held on the FAA’s hiring, training, and staffing status. ACTI leaders along with students attended the event. Several Congressmen expressed their concern regarding the FAAs actions and continued failure to resolve the hiring and staffing issues.
PHOENIX — Last year, FOX 10 broke the story about thousands of college students prepared to become air traffic controllers, only to suddenly get washed out of the program by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Now those students have filed a lawsuit against the federal government, claiming reverse discrimination.
For 24 years, the FAA relied on colleges and universities to prepare the next generation of air traffic controllers through the Collegiate Training Initiative.
Arizona State University has produced hundreds of these students.
Two years ago, the FAA did a startling about face, suddenly announcing it would begin hiring air traffic controllers “off the street” with no experience necessary.
Anthony Fox, head of the Department of Transportation, which oversees the FAA, told Congress about the sudden hiring changes.
“The FAA took an opportunity to take a broad opening of the aperture, if you will, to try to get a larger universe of applicants into the program.”
Erin Hogan graduated from ASU at the top of her class.
“I scored 99 on the AT-SAT,” she said.
The AT-SAT, since 2002, is the gold standard for screening air traffic control applicants.
“I have two degrees. Bachelor’s degree in aviation management and a bachelor’s degree in air traffic control.”
Andrew Brigida graduated from ASU in 2013, ready to embark on a career as a controller.
He’s the named plaintiff in the lawsuit against the federal government. The lawsuit claims changes in hiring of air traffic controllers amounts to employment discrimination.
“You have trained for four years to do this job and suddenly the government announces, ah, forget all that, we’re going to hire off the street. Does that make any sense to you? It doesn’t make any sense to anybody.”
Bottom line, both Brigida and Hogan, highly qualified controllers, were washed out after spending tens of thousands of dollars on their education. And this comes at a time when the FAA is facing a critical shortage of air traffic controllers.
Former controller John Gilding says lowering the hiring standards is compromising passenger safety.
“If you’re going to climb on an airplane and put grandma on the airplane and your kids on the airplane, do you want a well skilled, highly competent, talented person working that airplane or do you want some high school dropout that’s got his hat on backwards being the person guiding the airplane? I know what my answer is.”
The lawsuit alleges there was pressure on the FAA to hire more African-American controllers, but the percentage of African-American CTI students actually exceeded the percentage of African-Americans in the civilian workforce.
Washington, DC – Following new revelations that additional FAA or aviation-related employees may have assisted in giving potential air traffic controller recruits special access to answers on a key admissions test to help them gain jobs with the FAA, U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) restated his call, begun in December of last year, for FAA officials to appear before Congress to answer for their actions. Rep. Hultgren, a former member of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, has urged the House to act on his legislation, H.R. 1964, the Air Traffic Controllers Hiring Act of 2015 (previously known as the SAFE TOWERS Act), to reverse the effects of the FAA’s policies and restore safety and confidence to air travel.
“I am deeply disturbed that this alleged cheating may run deeper than first reported. If additional FAA or aviation-related employees helped applicants cheat on the Biographical Questionnaire (BQ), it is imperative we bring in those responsible and determine how widespread the misconduct is. Again, I urge Congress to hold a hearing and compel the FAA to appear before the American people to get to the bottom of this troubling discovery,” said Rep. Hultgren. “We need answers: Did the FAA know someone on the inside was helping people cheat, and did they cover it up? Was it a tactic with a purpose: to ensure targeted populations would pass the test? Who wrote the BQ, and who validated it (if anyone)?
“In addition, we still don’t know what will happen to those who have either failed the BQ, aged out of the hiring process, or both, for which they spent countless personal resources. I urge my colleagues to support my legislation to provide relief to those hurt by the FAA’s actions, and restore confidence in the air traffic controller hiring process.”
The FAA is under fire following a six month investigation into the agency’s new hiring practices which for months Rep. Hultgren has argued caused the agency to pass over the most qualified air traffic controller candidates, such as experienced veterans, and have raised concerns of air travel safety. The investigation also uncovered the alleged cheating, which Rep. Hultgren has called out. Illinois’ 14th Congressional District is home to the most air traffic controllers in Illinois.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — New air traffic controller hiring rules imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) jeopardize passenger safety by unfairly shutting out some of the most qualified candidates.
Before the new rules took effect, graduates who obtained high-quality training from a specialized Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program, and military veterans with relevant experience, received preference when applying for a position with FAA.
Unfortunately, the FAA’s sudden change has prevented many candidates who completed AT-CTI programs at CCBC from pursuing the career for which they were specifically trained.
The FAA gave little justification for the new hiring procedures.
“Training programs like the one at the Community College of Beaver County have a long track record of excellence,” said Congressman Keith Rothfus [PA-12]. “The aviation program at CCBC has built an excellent reputation as one of the top training programs in the nation, drawing in students from all over the region.”
Congressman Rothfus recently sponsored bipartisan legislation to reverse the new hiring rules, and restore the traditional hiring process that prioritizes graduates with advanced training as well as certain military veterans.
“Our bill ensures the most qualified candidates get to the top of the list. When it comes to our air traffic controllers, we need the best man or woman on the job to keep our skies safe,” said Rothfus.
H.R. 1964, the Air Traffic Controllers Hiring Act of 2015, restores preferred status for AT-CTI graduates and qualified veterans, eliminates the use of biographical questionnaires for screening purposes, and allows candidates who were unfairly excluded under previous biographical screening a chance to reapply.
