The FAA’s Enhanced Collegiate Training Initiative (E-CTI) gives qualified students across the U.S. a faster pathway to aviation careers after graduation.

Austin Fisher’s connection to aviation began at birth.

Nineteen years ago, his father began his career as an air traffic controller. “He started when I was born–he was a role model,” said Fisher, a student at Aims Community College in Greeley, Co. “I’d like to work with my Dad for his last few years before retirement down in Houston Center. Going straight to a facility is really a game changer.”

The FAA’s revolutionary Enhanced Air Traffic – Collegiate Training Initiative (E-CTI) program was created for the next generation of air traffic controllers, just like Austin. It is designed to shorten the distance between the classroom and the control tower. E-CTI students who pass final performance and written assessments receive an official endorsement certificate. E-CTI graduates can apply to become a controller and be directly placed in an FAA facility to begin their facility-specific training, bypassing the agency’s Air Traffic Controller Academy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Currently, 13 colleges and universities in the U.S.–including the University of Oklahoma (OU) in Oklahoma, Aims Community College and Vaughn College in New York–are certified as E-CTI schools. Aims was the first Colorado school to join the program. The schools provide the same extensive curriculum and modern equipment that controller trainers have at the FAA Air Traffic Controller Academy. The E-CTI program has already produced 36 graduates.

The program helps attract top talent to the field, said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “The safety of our National Airspace System is our top priority, and expanding the program allows us to train high-caliber talent and get well-qualified controllers into our facilities faster without compromising on safety.”

For Eva Flumler, being a controller is the “perfect job.” She’s an OU student who has a familial connection to aviation. She’s a distant relative of historical icon Amelia Earhart.

“This is what I want to do,” Flumler said. “It’s so much information, but it’s so exciting. I leave excited knowing, ‘Oh my gosh, I didn’t know that.’ And now I get to keep adding on.”

She believes new safety improvements for controllers–from electronic flight strips that replace paper strips to new radar and telecommunications upgrades–will enhance her career. “That’s exciting knowing that it’s just going to get better from here on out.”

At Aims, Brady Taylor, who like Fisher follows in the footsteps of other controllers in his family, is also excited to see what the future holds. “The whole idea of being a third-generation controller, it seems awesome.”

E-CTI instructors, many of whom worked as controllers, said it’s fulfilling to see students train to join a vital team of controllers who manage the nation’s airspace. They get the full college experience while working towards an aviation degree and honing their skills.

“I think when a student comes out of an E-CTI program, they’ve got just that much more confidence,” noted Daniel Rogers, an assistant ATC instructor at Aims.

Retired controller and Vaughn instructor Steve Fanno agreed. “I think it’s going to be huge for the FAA and for the controller workforce. I think you’re probably going to end up with a better product, and you’re going to end up with people who want to be in the profession.”

E-CTI is part of the FAA’s supercharge hiring pipeline to hire more controllers across the U.S. to keep America’s airspace safe. In 2026, the FAA hired a record-breaking 2,235 air traffic controller trainees–the most in the agency’s history.

Vaughn College graduate Kyle Rakowski will soon move to his first facility in New Hampshire to train for the air traffic field–thanks to the E-CTI program. “You’re working with others, which is part of the charm. It’s very good to see the FAA putting in money towards training and getting new controllers. I am very excited to go to Manchester.”

Are you a student who wants to learn how you can become a controller and help keep American skies the safest in the world? Visit E-CTI website for more info about participating schools.