{"id":34439,"date":"2026-03-09T16:20:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T16:20:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/?p=34439"},"modified":"2026-03-09T16:25:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T16:25:21","slug":"first-colorado-college-to-join-air-traffic-controller-training-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/state-news\/colorado\/first-colorado-college-to-join-air-traffic-controller-training-program\/%20","title":{"rendered":"First Colorado College to Join Air Traffic Controller Training Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)\u202fhas greenlit\u202fAims Community College<\/a> in\u202fColorado\u202fas the\u202fnext school to implement the Enhanced Air Traffic \u2013 Collegiate Training Initiative<\/a> (E-CTI). Students who pass the E-CTI program can apply to become a controller on a fast track \u2013 skipping the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City and jumping straight to on-site facility training.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks to President Trump, we are unlocking new ways for Americans to achieve their American Dream,\u201d said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. \u201cBy adding institutions like Aims Community College to the FAA\u2019s training network, we can bolster the American workforce and deliver the world-class air traffic control system the American people deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

This is the\u202f11th institution to join the\u202fE-CTI program, and the eighth school under Secretary Duffy,\u202fas part of his mission to recruit the next generation of air traffic controllers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis partnership with Aims Community College in Greeley creates another strong pipeline to bring new air traffic controllers into the FAA,\u201d said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. \u201cBy expanding opportunities here in Colorado, we\u2019re advancing our mission to strengthen the controller workforce and keep the flying public safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Trump Administration is modernizing the controller workforce with\u202fstreamlined hiring processes\u202fand\u202fhigher starting salaries\u202ffor trainees.\u202fAs a result, the FAA surpassed its Fiscal Year 2025 air traffic controller hiring goal by onboarding 2,026 new controllers. Under Secretary Duffy, the FAA remains laser-focused on the best and brightest recruits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m thrilled that Aims Community College will join a select group of institutions implementing the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative. As a former Blackhawk helicopter pilot, I know firsthand how critical air traffic controllers are to aviation and to keeping our airways, pilots, and passengers safe,\u201d said Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08).\u202f\u201cI\u2019m grateful to Secretary Duffy for his commitment to training the next generation of aviation professionals and for giving Aims and Colorado\u2019s 8th\u202fDistrict the opportunity to help lead the nation in this important effort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m thrilled to see Aims Community College become the latest institution to join Secretary Duffy\u2019s Enhanced Air Traffic \u2013 Collegiate Training Initiative,\u201d said Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04). \u201cThis program is a game-changer for Colorado students and our aviation workforce, providing a direct pipeline to high-paying, critical careers in air traffic control while helping address the longstanding national shortage. By bringing elite training opportunities to northern Colorado, we’re investing in the next generation of aviation professionals who help keep our skies safe every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

E-CTI school students who pass final performance and written assessments receive an official endorsement certificate. These graduates\u202fcan\u202fthen apply to become a controller and be placed directly in an FAA facility, bypassing the\u202fagency\u2019s Air Traffic Controller Academy in Oklahoma City,\u202fOklahoma,\u202fto begin their facility-specific training, provided they pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) test and meet medical and security requirements.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is different than the\u202fStandard AT-CTI, where graduates go to the FAA Academy but can bypass the introductory Air Traffic Basics Course.\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This partnership between the FAA and Aims\u202fCommunity College\u202fis for the school\u2019s\u202fTower and\u202fEn Route\u202fprogram, where students will have the opportunity to be placed in an\u202fFAA Air\u202fTraffic\u202fControl\u202fTower\u202for\u202fAir Route Traffic Control Center\u202fupon passing the aptitude-based ATSA.\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FAA\u202falso\u202foffers\u202fa year-round hiring opportunity for experienced controllers from the military and private\u202findustry\u202fand\u202fcontinues\u202fto expand its use of\u202fmodernized simulators\u202fthat\u202fenhance training by immersing\u202ftrainees in\u202freal-world scenarios.\u202f<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)\u202fhas greenlit\u202fAims Community College in\u202fColorado\u202fas the\u202fnext school to implement the Enhanced Air Traffic \u2013 Collegiate Training Initiative (E-CTI). Students who pass the E-CTI program can apply to become a controller on a fast track \u2013 skipping the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City and jumping straight to on-site facility training.\u00a0 \u201cThanks to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aviation-education","category-colorado"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34439"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34444,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34439\/revisions\/34444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}