[ejiblabahaba]

Because, unlike most professions, ATC is immediately, personally responsible for making decisions for which a slight mistake could instantly claim the lives of hundreds of people.

[viraptor]

We've not heard of anyone not qualified getting a job, only not hiring enough people. This has been an issue for many many years now. On the other hand there's lots of other professions with their own profiled hiring issues that claim lives over extended periods of time. So yeah, it still smells like an artificially popular topic. Especially since many changes have already been made this year but we're still seeing the same gripes reposted - but https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-transportati... hasn't been posted even once.

[throwaway48476]

They hired more people who then failed the academy and the FAA only has budget for a fixed number of seats. This resulted in a shortage of trainees making it to towers.

[gs17]

And the test doesn't test for that well. I passed and honestly shouldn't. Few of the questions about if I'd be a good ATC mattered much.