FAA Data Reveals Understaffing Crisis at Rochester Airport

Jun. 2—ROCHESTER — As U.S. airports struggle with a shortage of air traffic controllers, the Rochester International Airport is ranked as one of the most-understaffed in the country, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA air traffic control management and the air traffic controllers' union set Collaborative Resource Workgroup goals for the optimum number of certified controllers for each of the 290 towers.

Rochester's current target number is 23 certified controllers, the data shows. According to the latest numbers from the FAA, Rochester tower has 10 certified professional controllers, or 43.4% of the ideal goal. It also has two trainee controllers, who do not count toward the overall goal.

The Rochester International Airport's number of certified controllers is down from September 2023, when it had 11 controllers. However, it had no controllers-in-training at that time. The FAA is in charge of staffing for the control towers, not local airports.

The FAA responded to questions about the Rochester tower on Monday and stated that safety is still the top priority.

"If daily or per-shift staffing levels are low, the FAA ensures safety by implementing traffic management initiatives, such as slowing the flow of aircraft into an airport," wrote FAA Public Affairs Specialist Chris Mullooly. "Growing the nation's air traffic controller workforce is a top priority for the FAA. Their work is critical to meeting our safety mission. During the hiring surge that closed on March 17, we received more than 10,000 applications."

Airports in Waterloo, Iowa, and Morristown, New Jersey, were second and third on the controller list with 56.5% and 57.9% of the target number of controllers, respectively.

There has been a US shortage of air traffic controllers for decades, with a major setback in 1981, when President Ronald Reagan fired more than 11,000 striking air traffic controllers and banned them from being rehired.

The shortage has become a high-profile issue recently as there have been some near misses between aircraft in 2025. US Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy has stated that the FAA is short about 3,000 air traffic controllers. As an example of the shortage, the Newark, NJ Liberty International Airport was plagued by cancellations and delays this spring because of a shortage of air traffic controllers.

The Philadelphia tower, which handled the Newark traffic, had 63 certified controllers, which is 55% of its goal of 114.

Amid the national shortage, Rochester's airport is seeing its passenger numbers increase. A total of 17,484 passengers used the airport in April 2024. That number grew to 19,104 passengers for April 2025.

In 2024, RST served 200,072 passengers, up from 189,038 in 2023. However, the airport has not yet returned to its pre-COVID numbers of a high of 371,615 passengers in 2019 and 370,201 passengers in 2019.

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