# FAA Withholds ATC Pay Raise in New York

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford is exercising his statutory discretion to withhold a portion of the air traffic controllers' pay raise authorized by Congress, specifically citing unmet operational efficiency improvements as the basis for this decision. This action affects workforce morale and retention, particularly in challenging staffing locations such as New York, where recruitment and training difficulties persist. The pay raise legislation includes a clause allowing the Administrator to implement the raise only if improvements in scheduling, staffing utilization, or other operational efficiencies are demonstrated. This development underscores ongoing challenges in managing air traffic controller workforce conditions and has implications for procurement and workforce planning within the FAA.

- **Why this matters:** Procurement professionals should recognize that workforce-related operational metrics are now directly influencing compensation adjustments, potentially affecting contract requirements for training, staffing support, and operational efficiency services.
- The FAA's discretion in pay implementation may impact future contract scopes related to workforce development, training programs, and regional staffing solutions, especially in high-demand areas like New York.
- Contractors providing staffing, training, or operational efficiency solutions should evaluate opportunities to support FAA efforts to meet the required improvements that trigger pay raises.
- This situation highlights the importance of aligning procurement strategies with legislative conditions and operational performance metrics to ensure compliance and optimize workforce outcomes.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Transportation
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** September 23, 2026

### Government Entities
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- U.S. House of Representatives

### Key Quotes
> Provided further, That such adjustment shall be implemented for all such employees only to the extent the Administrator determines, in his sole discretion, that improvements in workforce scheduling, staffing utilization, or other operational efficiencies are achieved that contribute to addressing workforce shortfalls and enhancing aviation safety
> — Original poster

> There’s a lot of work between hiring and then training someone before they can actually dispatch traffic. There’s another fact of whether we can get them to New York. That’s the most difficult place in the national aviation system to staff. I’m not sure why, but we’ve got to figure that out.
> — Bryan Bedford (FAA Administrator)

> As I read the legislation on the pay raise, the intent was to put air traffic controllers on par with law enforcement. That was the intent of the 3.8%. The discretion that was given to you, I think, was with then improving the environment [they work in]. And I suspect that the reason you may be having trouble getting people to work up in New York is because of their pay.
> — Jim Clyburn (Ranking Member, House Spending Panel)

### Sources
- [FAA administrator defends withholding part of ATC pay raise](https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1wogfqu/faa_administrator_defends_withholding_part_of_atc) - reddit-fednews