*The FAA has hired more than 2,000 new air traffic controllers by targeting gamers and other young applicants.
The agency took this step to ease its staffing shortage. It now looks beyond traditional career paths. The FAA made video gamers a key focus of its latest recruitment drive. That effort has already brought more than 2,000 controllers into the workforce. The FAA says this total reaches 94% of its annual hiring goal.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the strategy a “game changer.” He credited the agency with speeding the path from application to training, USA Today reports.
“(The FAA) supercharged the entire hiring process to get the BEST & BRIGHTEST in faster,” Duffy wrote. “The results are HISTORIC. We’re building the strongest, sharpest workforce in aviation history.”
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Certain video games build useful skills for the job. The FAA points to multitasking, spatial awareness, strategic thinking, problem-solving and rapid information processing. The agency launched the recruitment campaign in April. It drew more than 12,000 applications in its first 24 hours. Candidates from this new pipeline reached the Oklahoma City training academy faster than any earlier class.
Gaming skill alone does not guarantee a spot in the control tower. Candidates must be U.S. citizens and under 31 when they apply. They must also speak fluent English. Every applicant must pass an aptitude test, medical exam, and security screening before training begins.
The hiring push aims to fix a long-running controller shortage. The job can also pay well without a traditional four-year degree. Air traffic controllers earned a median annual wage of $144,580 in 2024, according to federal data.
Hiring gamers has helped the FAA cut its hiring timeline by more than five months and may supply an unexpected pool of talent for one of aviation’s toughest jobs.
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