US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said on August 9 that the Department of Transportation has hired 2,000 gamers as air traffic controllers, Polygon reports. In a post on X, Duffy said a streamlined intake had moved candidates to the training academy faster than previous cohorts, and described the result as recruiting the "best & brightest" applicants available.
The campaign behind those hires dates to 2025, when the department began advertising air traffic control careers directly to players. Its ads showed young men discussing the prospect of turning a gaming habit into a career that rewards quick decision-making, intercut with footage of games including Fortnite. Polygon reports the approach came from serving controllers, who said the hobby had influenced their decision to enter the profession and had sharpened skills the job demands.
A shortage the campaign is meant to close
The recruitment push answers a structural problem: the number of flights in the United States rises every year while the pool of controllers managing them keeps shrinking. Polygon notes that too few controllers means delayed or cancelled flights at best and, at worst, raises the risk of crashes. Certification normally takes years, and under the previous process only a small share of applicants reached the academy before beginning a rigorous training regimen. Median annual pay for the role was $144,580 as of 2024.
The idea has proved contentious with the public. Polygon reports that the staffing shortage has arguably been made worse by unsteady pay during government shutdowns, and that controllers have described the chronically understaffed role as among the most stressful jobs in the world. On that reading, a faster intake does not address why the positions go unfilled; Polygon also notes that recent government attempts to hasten recruitment in other sensitive career segments have turned out poorly, and that safety concerns about compressing the pipeline are understandable.
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