Discover NATCA
National Air Traffic Controllers Association
NATCA is a labor union and aviation safety organization in the United States that represents nearly 20,000 highly skilled air traffic controllers, engineers, and other aviation safety-related professionals. NATCA was certified in 1987 by the Federal Labor Relations Authority to be the exclusive bargaining representative for air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Today, NATCA is one of the strongest labor unions in the federal sector and represents a range of aviation safety professionals in 15 FAA bargaining units, five Department of Defense air traffic facilities, and 123 federal contract towers. These air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals make vital contributions to the U.S. economy and make modern life possible by coordinating the safe, orderly, and expeditious movement of nearly one billion aviation passengers and millions of tons of freight within the National Airspace System each year. NATCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO.
Featured News
Registration for NATCA’s 20th Biennial Convention Is Now Open
Registration for NATCA’s 20th Biennial Convention is now open. Register today and plan to be at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco from May 9-11, 2025, with the opening ceremony taking place on the evening of May 8. Early registrants will get the best prices on all Convention events. Please do not register NATCA members…
CFS 2024 Registration Now Open
Get ready to join us at Communicating for Safety (CFS) 2024! CFS is NATCA’s premier aviation safety conference uniting industry leaders, innovators, and professionals. Join us from September 16-18, 2024, at The Horseshoe Las Vegas for three days of unparalleled insights into safety, technology, and relationship-building. Engage in dynamic discussions, network with peers and pioneers,…
NATCA APPLAUDS U.S. SENATE PASSAGE OF FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2024
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) applauds today’s passage by the U.S. Senate of both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2024 and a one-week FAA authorization extension. These Senate votes avert an FAA shutdown that would have begun on Friday after 11:59 p.m. The passage gives the U.S. House of Representatives a…
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Benefits
NATCA Benefits Partners with Penn State World Campus
The NATCA Benefits Committee is pleased to offer members a benefit that assists those pursuing a college degree. The Penn State World Campus/NATCA alliance provides our members with a 5% discount on all tuition rates and college credit for completion of a certified NATCA Academy course(s). This benefit extends to spouses, domestic partners, and children….
Celebrate Mother’s Day with NATCA Benefits
Happy Mother’s Day from the NATCA Benefits Committee! Whether you are a mother in need of savings or want to treat your mother to something special, we have a wide variety of options to save our members and their families some money! Visit www.natcabenefits.org and learn more!
Events
Registration for NATCA’s 20th Biennial Convention Is Now Open
Registration for NATCA’s 20th Biennial Convention is now open. Register today and plan to be at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco from May 9-11, 2025, with the opening ceremony taking place on the evening of May 8. Early registrants will get the best prices on all Convention events. Please do not register NATCA members…
Spotlight
Get To Know NATCA’s National Legislative Committee Chair David Skarphol
Relationship building is at the core of NATCA’s legislative activism. Earlier this year David Skarphol (Phoenix TRACON, P50) stepped up as the chair of NATCA’s National Legislative Committee (NLC), leading the team that coordinates and facilitates NATCA members’ legislative training and relationships with members of Congress. Today we take a moment to introduce Skarphol and…
Aviation Facts
Fact: The United States aviation system is an economic driver, contributing 5.2 percent to the nation’s gross domestic product, and generating nearly 11 million jobs.
Aircraft in the sky at peak operational times
Pounds of freight moving through the National Airspace System each year
Current Traffic
Tracking 10,677 airborne aircraft with 636,859,278 total flights in the database. FlightAware has tracked 113,709 arrivals in the last 24 hours.
Aviation Acronyms
Learn acronyms used by safety professionals nationwide:
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