NAS (National Airspace System) Human Factors Safety Research Laboratory

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Controller entry/retirement age
Kate Bleckley, Ph.D. (PDF)

The FAA, in accordance with Public Law (92-297), requires Air Traffic Control Specialists (ATCS) to retire at age 56. This same statute delegated authority to the FAA Administrator for establishing maximum age at entry to the ATCS occupation and for establishing policy regarding issuing mandatory retirement waivers to a �controller having exceptional skills and experience.�

We will be conducting research that will examine controller performance across their careers, with emphasis on the effects of age-at-entry and establishing criteria for mandatory retirement waivers.

• Contact Dr. Bleckley about this research
• Program Description: Controller Entry/Retirement Age (C-ERA): Cross-sectional and
  Cross-lagged Longitudinal Examination of the Current Maximum Age-At-Entry and Mandatory Retirement Age for ATCS (PDF)