US Offers Bonuses to Help Boost Air Traffic Control Staffing (1)

The US Transportation Department will offer new bonuses worth thousands of dollars to help address a persistent shortage of air traffic controllers.

Certified professional controllers who are eligible for retirement will receive a 20% lump sum payment for each year they continue to work, the department said in a statement on Thursday. New hires and graduates of the Federal Aviation Administration’s academy for controllers who complete initial qualification training will get a $5,000 award. Graduates will get $10,000 if they’re assigned to one of 13 locations that are considered difficult to staff, according to a statement.

The incentives are ...