Elon Musk urges retired US air traffic controllers to return to work amid shortage

​​​​​​​By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - Elon Musk urged retired air traffic controllers to return to work Thursday amid a critical shortage and warned of a “dire” situation that threatens aviation safety.

“There is a shortage of top-notch air traffic controllers. If you have retired but are open to returning to work, please consider doing so,” Musk wrote on X.

In another post, he claimed that Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) communication systems are nearing “catastrophic failure,” with just months left before a potential breakdown.

To address the crisis, Musk announced that Starlink, the satellite internet constellation terminals, owned by the billionaire, are being deployed at "no cost" to taxpayers to restore air traffic control connectivity.

- Transportation Department aims to reduce hiring time

Less than 10% of the US airport terminal towers meet staffing standards set by the FAA and the controllers’ union, according to a CBS News analysis.

In a related move, the US Transportation Department decreased the eight-step hiring process at the FAA into five, which they claim would reduce the process from several months to about four months.

"We want the best and brightest to get expedited entry into the academy, and as an incentive to apply, we will be increasing the pay for those in training," said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on X.

The shortage follows the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce, led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which is overseen by Musk.

Hundreds of FAA employees were dismissed, though Duffy claimed no air traffic controllers or critical safety personnel were affected.

Musk's comments and the Transportation Department's move came amid a series of recent aviation accidents, including a mid-air collision near Washington, DC, that killed all 67 people aboard two aircraft, and other fatal crashes in Philadelphia, Alaska and Arizona.