A 2023 report determined that over 99% of American airports lacked critical air traffic control staffing. Aggressively recruiting qualified employees was a top priority for transportation officials under President Joe Biden, but policy reversals last week pumped the brakes on hirings.

One widely shared claim was that Trump fired 3,000 air traffic controllers shortly after taking office for his second term. One post alone (archived) making this claim had received more than 2.7 million views and 25,

Amid increased concerns about aviation safety, here's how many air traffic controllers there are in the U.S., and how the hiring process works.

A report by the Federal Aviation Administration says one air traffic controller was working two positions at the time of a midair collision between a plane and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C.

Democrats previously hit out at the president's federal hiring freeze for hindering the "number one safety issue" in aviation.

A preliminary safety report from the Federal Aviation Administration reportedly found that air traffic control staffing was abnormally low at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 29, according to The New York Times, which obtained a copy of the report.

A report by the Federal Aviation Administration says staffing in the air traffic control tower was “not normal” at time of the midair collision near Washington. The report was obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.