FAA wants to hire gamers as air-traffic controllers: ‘We need to adapt’
The Federal Aviation Administration is looking to recruit video game enthusiasts as part of a major effort to increase the number of air-traffic controllers across the United States.
On Friday, the Department of Transportation released a promotional video directed at gamers, encouraging them to consider a career guiding aircraft safely through the nation’s skies. The campaign is part of a broader plan to hire nearly 9,000 additional air-traffic controllers by 2028.
In the video, viewers who enjoy gaming are asked if they are ready to take on the challenge of becoming an air-traffic controller. It emphasizes that while the role requires skills similar to those used in gaming, it is a serious profession rather than entertainment. The message highlights that controllers are responsible for the safety of millions of travelers each day and notes that the position can offer average earnings of up to $155,000 by the third year of employment.
The recruitment push follows a deadly incident in March when an Air Canada aircraft collided with a firetruck on the runway at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, killing both pilots. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are examining whether an air-traffic controller left their station to answer an emergency phone call before the crash and whether staffing shortages played a role in the accident.
Transportation officials say exit interviews with departing controllers have shown that many of them are gamers, and that gaming skills—such as quick decision-making and managing multiple moving elements—can translate well to air-traffic control duties.
The new outreach effort aims to significantly expand recruitment and does not require applicants to hold a college degree.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the campaign is designed to reach younger candidates who already possess many of the abilities needed for the job.
He said that adapting recruitment strategies is necessary to attract the next generation of controllers, adding that the gaming-focused campaign targets a growing group of young adults with the technical and mental skills suited to the role. Duffy also said that under President Trump the nation has reached its highest level of controller staffing in six years and described the career as an opportunity to serve a meaningful purpose by helping keep American families safe.
At present, about 11,000 air-traffic controllers are working in the system, with another 4,000 trainees preparing to enter service with the FAA.
Officials reported that at least 2,400 people were hired in the past year alone, creating the largest incoming group of controllers on record and marking the busiest year ever at the Air Traffic Controller Academy in Oklahoma City.
The FAA’s long-term hiring plan calls for 8,900 new controllers by the end of fiscal year 2028. The agency expects to add 2,000 in 2025, followed by 2,200 in 2026, 2,300 in 2027 and 2,400 in 2028.
Between January and September of 2025, the Department of Transportation said it hired 20 percent more controllers than during the same time frame the previous year.
Another aviation disaster occurred the year before the LaGuardia crash when an American Airlines commuter plane struck a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. All 67 passengers and crew members aboard the aircraft and helicopter were killed.
After that January 2025 tragedy, Duffy pledged to expand the pipeline of trained controllers in order to bring more highly qualified candidates into the system.
The following month he also launched a merit-based push for pilot hiring, saying that Americans want pilots selected based on qualifications rather than appearance or gender.
A previous effort to increase applications for air-traffic controller positions had been launched by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. His campaign emphasized encouraging applicants from women, minorities and other underrepresented communities, according to a 2021 Department of Transportation announcement.
That initiative took place during the administration of former President Joe Biden, when the department allocated more than $80 billion toward Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs.
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