First class of air traffic controllers trained on simulators in Queens graduates from Vaughn College

Nine of the nation's newest air traffic controllers just completed their training in Queens as part of a new program to fight the air traffic controller shortage. 

Yanni Agrotis from Melville spent months training on simulators at Vaughn College in Queens. He says he's now ready for the real thing, and the Federal Aviation Administration agrees. 

"I'm ready to handle something very important" 

"It feels like there's duty to be done, and it feels like I'm putting my badge on my shoulder like I'm ready to handle something very important," Agrotis said. 

New FAA controllers like Agrotis used to have to travel to Oklahoma City to train. But a new FAA program allows aviation-focused colleges like Vaughn to train controllers on campus. We first told you about the plan about a year ago. 

Vaughn College President Sharon DaVivo says it's a big draw for controllers who want to train close to home, and more.

"So it's expanding the number of seats the federal government has to train air traffic controllers," DaVivo said. 

Nine trainees joined the program, and all nine completed it. Now, they'll head to air traffic control towers across the country to launch their careers with the FAA.

"All of this helps to grow the air traffic controllers"

The staff at Vaughn says, when combined with other schools in the program, the FAA is gaining about 100 new controllers. 

"But that's 100 more they didn't have last year, right? So all of this helps to grow the air traffic controllers," DaVivo said. 

She's hoping to expand Vaughn's program to 15 trainees this fall. 

As for Agrotis and the other eight graduates?

"The instructors were very welcoming. They were tough, but they did it in a nice way. So they prepared us for being in a stressful situation," Agrotis said. 

They hope to start working at towers within a few weeks.