Embry-Riddle Air Traffic Students to Fast Track FAA Employment in 2025

The FAA announced Wednesday that it had signed an agreement allowing Embry-Riddle to participate in the Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI), according to the private aviation university.

The Enhanced AT-CTI program allows graduates of Embry-Riddle’s Air Traffic Management program to be placed directly in FAA facilities for controller training if they pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) exam. Applicants must also meet medical and security requirements.

The FAA saidWednesday that this Enhanced AT-CTI program is different from the Standard AT-CTI program offered for graduates who go to the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City but bypass the introductory Air Traffic Basics Course.

“The FAA is working to strengthen our controller workforce and create a continuous pipeline of talent,” Tim Arel, chief operating officer of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization, said in a statement. “The safety of the National Airspace System and the traveling public is always our number one priority. Working with schools like Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University will continue that mission.” 

The agency exceeded its hiring goal in the 2024 fiscal year and aims to hire 2,000 more controllers in 2025.

Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Florida, campus is the third university to sign an agreement with the FAA for the Enhanced AT-CTI initiative.

“Embry‑Riddle is proud to be among the first schools to be signed to the Enhanced AT-CTI program and to be part of an important effort by the FAA to fill the air traffic controller pipeline,” Embry‑Riddle President P. Barry Butler said. “Graduates of our Air Traffic Management program will greatly benefit from this partnership, and our nation’s aviation system stands to gain as well, as these students are eager and well-prepared to safeguard the flying public.”

Embry-Riddle adheres to FAA requirements for advanced technology with new simulators connected with AI-assisted voice recognition. These simulators will be installed in three air traffic control labs on the Daytona Beach Campus in December, and a new curriculum will be introduced for the Spring 2025 semester.

“This approval provides recognition of the world-class education we provide here at Embry‑Riddle and lets us help FAA solve air traffic controller shortages,” said Mike McCormick, associate professor and Air Traffic Management program coordinator at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus. “But it also benefits our students by giving them alternatives, plus the ability to get hired quickly after graduation.” 

McCormick said that the Enhanced AT-CTI program will better prepare students for the ATSA exam.

Embry‑Riddle’s Air Traffic Management program has 242 students at its Daytona Beach Campus.