FAA hires over 2,000 video gamers as air traffic controllers

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reached record hiring levels for air traffic controllers following a recruitment campaign specifically targeting video gamers. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the initiative has resulted in the hiring of more than 2,000 new controllers, which he described as the most in a single year.

The campaign, which launched in April with the slogan ‘It’s not a Game. It’s a Career.’, aimed to address a long-standing industry shortage of controllers. The Department of Transportation targeted gamers due to their perceived transferable skills, such as high cognitive function, spatial awareness, multitasking, and problem-solving abilities.

Duffy stated that the agency met 94 percent of its hiring goal in the fastest time ever recorded for such a target. The recruitment drive is intended to modernize the workforce and tap into a demographic of young adults capable of handling the high-concentration requirements of aviation safety.