- A worldwide shortage of 71,000 air traffic controllers is forecast by 2034
- Countries including Australia and Canada are competing for experienced staff
- Controllers are leaving for higher pay and better conditions
- NAV CANADA bypassed standard protocols to recruit foreign controllers
- Training takes two to five years per controller
A severe worldwide shortage of 71,000 air traffic controllers forecast by 2034 has triggered aggressive cross-border recruitment, according to the 2025 Aviation Talent Forecast published by the aviation training and simulation firm CAE.
Aviation officials warn that the international talent war merely shifts vacancies around rather than solving the systemic crisis, elevating risks for air safety and travel disruptions globally. Controllers are leaving their home countries for higher pay, better working conditions and relaxed retirement age limits.
Dozens of controllers from Airservices Australia have resigned or are exploring moves to Qatar. NAV CANADA, which typically only hires citizens or permanent residents, bypassed standard protocols via an external firm to recruit foreign controllers. South Africa’s Air Traffic and Navigation Services placed strict limits on the number of controllers it will recruit from any single nation after losing 28 staff in an eight-month window. Indonesia, which holds a surplus of trained controllers, agreed to deploy personnel to Australia through 2030.
Moving staff across borders offers only brief relief because the underlying pipeline takes years to build. The Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation points out a severe economic imbalance: the country that bears the cost of training a controller receives no compensation when that worker is poached by a wealthier foreign agency. Depending on the jurisdiction, screening and technical certification for an expert controller takes two to five years.
