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Stories about Flying · July 31 · 20 min

ATC: 45 Years After the PATCO Strike

August 3 is the 45th anniversary of the infamous PATCO strike that cost 11,435 air traffic controllers their careers after they called a strike against the FAA. Nearly five decades later, the nation's air traffic control system remains short of enough controllers to keep the system humming like it did before the strike. And since August, 1981 air traffic numbers have tripled. Join Rob Mark as he blends a bit of aviation history with the realities of what the FAA is doing to make the ATC system work safely in 2026.

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August 3 is the 45th anniversary of the infamous PATCO strike that cost 11,435 air traffic controllers their careers after they called a strike against the FAA.

Nearly five decades later, the nation's air traffic control system remains short of enough controllers to keep the system humming like it did before the strike. And since August, 1981 air traffic numbers have tripled.

Join Rob Mark as he blends a bit of aviation history with the realities of what the FAA is doing to make the ATC system work safely in 2026.

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