One widely shared claim was that Trump fired 3,000 air traffic controllers shortly after taking office for his second term. One post alone (archived) making this claim had received more than 2.7 million views and 25,

Hearing that just one air traffic controller was monitoring both planes and helicopters has left many to wonder how common such a situation is. Burke, 81, has filed a petition with the Office of the Pardon Attorney at the U.

Amid increased concerns about aviation safety, here's how many air traffic controllers there are in the U.S., and how the hiring process works.