Head of Air Traffic Controllers praises FAA for ‘innovative approach’ to recruitment, confirming gamers have the ‘hard skills’ needed for the role

The Federal Aviation Administration just hit a major milestone in its latest recruitment drive, successfully bringing on more than 2,000 new air traffic controllers this year. This hiring surge is the result of a deliberate campaign focused on video game players, a strategy that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says is aimed at reaching a growing demographic of young adults who already possess the hard skills necessary for the role.

According to The Hill, Nick Daniels, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, recently commended the FAA for this recruitment strategy. Speaking to The Hill’s sister company, NewsNation, Daniels stated that gaming skills “absolutely” translate to the role. He went on to characterize the move as an ”innovative approach to capture the attention of the American youth,” noting that the agency has faced significant staffing hurdles in recent years.

The NY Post reported that the FAA has already reached 94% of its recruitment goal as of August 9. Taking to Facebook to celebrate, Duffy wrote, “We’re building the strongest, sharpest workforce in aviation history.” It’s a big change for an agency that has been struggling to keep its towers fully staffed since the pandemic. 

More than a marketing gimmick

Per the NY Post, the drive, which was announced in April, chose gamers for science-backed reasons. The Transportation Department cited statistics claiming that gaming fosters cognitive functions such as multitasking, spatial awareness, and complex problem-solving. 

The outlet noted that research from 2006 and 2024 supported the idea that gamers are often better at tracking multiple objects simultaneously and maintaining high levels of attentional control. With over 200 million regular gamers in the United States, the agency is tapping into a massive pool of potential talent.

“You’ve been training for this,” the FAA declared in its promotional video. The campaign aimed to reach young people pursuing alternative career paths. As CBS News noted, the press release claims that only 25% of current controllers hold a traditional college degree and further stated, “Feedback from controller exit interviews reinforces this, with several controllers pointing to gaming as an influence on their ability to think quickly, stay focused, and manage complexity.”

According to The Hill, Daniels explained that the training process typically takes about three months of initial training, followed by two to three years of on-the-job experience before a controller is fully certified. “To be fully certified, completely talking to an aircraft by yourself will vary from position to position … you will be on your own, but you’re still surrounded,” Daniels told NewsNation. “It is a teamwork environment. We all look out for each other.”

The staffing shortage has had real-world consequences. In March, a potential controller error led to a deadly collision at LaGuardia. Last year, a controller was reportedly doing the work of two people when a flight collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter. Per the NY Post, data from the U.S. Government Accountability Office indicated that the FAA employed 6% fewer controllers in the 2025 fiscal year compared to 2015, even as total flight volume increased by 10%. 

The situation was exacerbated by past government shutdowns. A Department of Transportation spokesperson told CBS News, “The failure to pay air traffic controllers for 44 days created uncertainty, drove many experienced controllers out of the profession and harmed the recruitment pipeline.” 

Now, the agency is working to streamline its pipeline while maintaining strict standards. Per the NY Post, prospective controllers must still pass aptitude tests along with medical and security clearances. Once through the academy and on-the-job training, recruits will enter a profession that can be quite lucrative. While pay varies by location and experience, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median annual wage of $144,580 for air traffic controllers in 2024.

“For far too long, air traffic controllers have been the people behind the curtain that you don’t really know about,” Daniels said. He added, “We get accused of being the ones with the wands. And those people who marshal airplanes do an amazing job, but these are the ones in the towers, our trade comms and in-route facilities across the country, ensuring over 55,000 flights a day arrive at their destination safely.”