JO 7210.3 Facility Operation and AdministrationJO 7210.3EE · Change 3 · Effective 7/9/2026
Chapter 2 · Section 3
Air Traffic Familiarization/Currency Requirements for En Route/Terminal/System Operations Facilities
5 Paragraphs2-3-1–2-3-5
2-3-1 GENERAL
It is the responsibility of the employees identified in paragraph 2-3-2, Application, to work in conjunction with their supervisors to ensure they adhere to the requirements of this section.
Facility managers must develop procedures for tracking and reporting currency for those employees identified in subparagraph 2-3-2b.
2-3-2 APPLICATION
Air traffic managers, assistant managers, executive officers, staff managers, operations managers, support managers, traffic management officers and support specialists, who as a condition of employment are not required to maintain currency, must maintain familiarity with control room operations to perform their required duties in an efficient manner.
Air traffic control specialists (ATCS), traffic management coordinators (TMC), national traffic management specialists (NTMS), developmental specialists (ATCS/TMC/NTMS), first-level supervisors (including facility managers who also serve as first-level supervisors), operations supervisors (OS), supervisory traffic management coordinators (STMC), national traffic manager officers (NTMO), and air traffic assistants (ATA) are required to meet currency requirements in order to perform their duties.
2-3-3 REQUIREMENTS
Familiarization. The methods used for personnel identified in paragraph 2-3-2a, Application, to maintain familiarization must be specified in a local facility directive.
Currency. Personnel must rotate through all positions on which they maintain currency each calendar month. Additionally, they must meet the following requirements:
Number of positions required to maintain currency.
ATCSs, TMCs, NTMSs, developmental specialists (ATCS/TMC/NTMS) and ATAs must maintain currency on all operational/control positions on which certified.
First-level supervisors (OS, STMC, NTMO) and support specialists (who maintain currency) must maintain currency on a minimum of two operational/control positions.
TMCs/STMCs required to maintain currency on operational positions within the traffic management unit (TMU), and control positions outside the TMU (dual currency), must maintain currency on a minimum of two operational/control positions outside the TMU.
NOTE
Operational/control positions are: Local and/or Ground (Tower), Satellite Radar, Departure Radar, Arrival Radar and/or Final Radar (TRACON), Radar Position, Radar Associate Position and/or ATOP Position (ARTCC).
The following minimum time must be met each calendar month: a minimum of one hour per position is required; time working combined positions satisfies the requirement for each of the combined positions. Time working the assistant controller, flight data, and clearance delivery position is counted for flight service stations (FSS) and air traffic assistants only.
NOTE
Hand-off, Tracker, CAB/TRACON/NTMS Coordinator, Final Monitor, OS/OSIC, and managerial (in-charge) positions do not have a currency requirement and time spent working those positions is not counted.
ATCSs, Developmental (Dev) ATCSs, and ATAs.
TERMINAL. Radar/tower operational/control positions: A minimum of eight hours tower and eight hours radar. If certified in only one area of operation (tower or radar), a minimum of 16 hours is required.
EN ROUTE, FSS, and ATAs. A minimum of 16 hours on operational/control positions is required.
TMCs, NTMSs, and developmental TMCs/NTMS are required to maintain operational/ control position currency as follows: a minimum of 16 hours on operational/control positions.
Support specialists who maintain currency.
TERMINAL. Radar/tower operational/control positions: a minimum of four hours tower and four hours radar. If certified in only one area of operation (tower or radar), a minimum of eight hours is required.
EN ROUTE/ATCSCC. A minimum of eight hours on operational/control positions is required.
OSs (including facility managers who also serve as first-level supervisors).
TERMINAL. Radar/tower operational/control positions (excluding the OS/OSIC position): a minimum of four hours tower and four hours radar. If certified in only one area of operation (tower or radar), a minimum of eight hours is required.
EN ROUTE, FSS. A minimum of eight hours on operational/control positions (excluding managerial (in-charge) positions) is required.
STMCs/NTMOs are required to maintain operational/control position currency as follows: a minimum of eight hours on operational/control positions excluding managerial (in-charge) positions.
Dual Currency. TMCs/STMCs at all Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs), New York TRACON (N90), Northern California TRACON (NCT), Philadelphia TRACON (PHL), Potomac TRACON (PCT), and Southern California TRACON (SCT) are required to maintain currency only within the TMU. TMCs/STMCs at all other facilities are required to maintain dual currency.
TERMINAL. Radar/tower operational/control positions: a minimum of four hours tower and four hours radar. If certified in only one area of operation (tower or radar), a minimum of 8 hours is required.
EN ROUTE. A minimum of eight hours on operational/control positions is required.
TMC/STMC optional. Staffing and workload permitting, TMCs/STMCs not required to maintain dual currency may elect to maintain dual currency. Dual currency is not subject to the provisions of paragraph 2-3-4; Differential.
Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) approaches (where published): three each calendar quarter, one of which must be a no-gyro. Radar simulation may be used to satisfy these requirements.
Time spent performing on‐the‐job‐training (OJT) instruction as an OJT instructor (OJTI) is not counted toward operational/control position currency.
Time spent receiving OJT on combined positions, where the employee is certified on some of the combined positions:
TERMINAL: does not count toward operational/control position currency.
EN ROUTE: does count toward operational/control position currency on the Radar Associate position when receiving OJT on the Radar Position.
NOTE
OJTI is responsible for all positions combined during OJT.
REFERENCE
FAA Order JO 3120.4 Air Traffic Technical Training, Chapter 2. Roles and Responsibilities, Para 5f(6) OJTI.
Time spent performing certification skills checks, operational skills assessments, skills checks, over-the-shoulders, etc., is not counted toward operational/control position currency.
NOTE
Initial operational/control position certification completed in a month meets the requirements for that position for that month. Individuals recertified in a month must meet currency requirements for that month regardless of the day of recertification.
TBL 2-3-1 Currency Requirements
| Position | Operational/ Control Position Currency | Total Minimum Currency Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| ATCS/Developmental ATCSTMC/ Developmental TMC FSS Specialist/Dev FSS Spec NTMS/Dev NTMS/ATA | Min 16 hours/month Min 1 hr per position | 16 hours |
| Support Specialist (if maintaining currency) | Min 8 hours/monthMin 1 hr per positionMin 2 positions | 8 hours |
| OSSTMC/NTMOFSS OS | Min 8 hours/monthMin 1 hr per positionMin 2 positions | 8 hours |
| TMC - Dual Currency | Within TMU:Min 16 hours/monthMin 1 hr per positionOutside TMU:Min 8 hours/monthMin 1 hr per positionMin 2 positions | 24 hours |
| STMC – Dual Currency | Within TMU:Min 8 hours/monthMin 1 hr per positionMin 2 positionsOutside TMU:Min 8 hours/monthMin 1 hr per positionMin 2 positions | 16 hours |
2-3-4 DIFFERENTIAL
To qualify for currency differential as outlined in the Air Traffic Control Revitalization Act, personnel must be certified and maintain currency on at least two positions excluding clearance delivery and flight data positions.
2-3-5 TRACKING
Operational/control position currency time must be documented in accordance with processes described in paragraph 2-2-6, Sign In/Out and On/Off Procedures, and tracked.
Air traffic managers must document, in a facility directive, a quality control process to ensure that personnel who do not meet currency requirements in a calendar month do not work an operational/control position prior to recertification in accordance with FAA Order JO 3120.4, Air Traffic Technical Training.