The FAA said Monday that it has opened $26 million in Aviation Workforce Development Grants for organizations proposing programs to train and recruit future pilots, drone operators and aviation maintenance technicians. Funding is split between two competitive grant programs, with about $13 million available for pilot and drone operator workforce development and about $13 million available for programs to train and recruit aviation maintenance technical workers.
“More Americans are taking to the skies and demand for skilled aviation workers continues to grow,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. “These new funding opportunities support education and training programs that help build a strong pipeline of talent and invest in the future of America’s aviation workforce.”
The Aviation Workforce Development Grants are part of a program mandated by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which required separate grant programs for pilots and aviation maintenance workers. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 added a third track for aviation manufacturing technical workers and aerospace engineers. Records show the agency awarded $33.5 million through the program from fiscal years 2022 through 2024.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently said stakeholders supported past iterations of the workforce grant program, although it questioned whether earlier funding levels were enough to make a substantial impact. This new $26 million funding round is nearly double the amount FAA records show was awarded through the program in fiscal 2024 and is also larger than the $2.02 million FAA officials told GAO had been approved for five fiscal 2025 grants as of December 2025.
Eligible applicants include schools, flight schools, air carriers, certified repair stations, aviation-related nonprofits, labor organizations and state, local, territorial and Tribal governments, depending on the program. Applicants are being asked to submit proposals for projects such as aviation curricula, simulator-based training, apprenticeships, internships, scholarships, flight instructor training, maintenance education, student outreach and programs supporting military-to-civilian aviation career transitions. Applications are due through Grants.gov by June 18.
