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

By Dean Murray

The US government says it has hired over 2,000 video gamers as air traffic controllers.

The Department of Transportation announced a recruiting program in April to employ fans of computer games to safeguard US aviation.

US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy reported on Sunday, Aug. 9, that 94% of the hiring goal has been met, with the most ever employed in a single year.

He wrote in a social media post: "2,000+ "best & brightest" candidates in the pipeline — reaching the Academy quicker than any class before them, thanks to the most streamlined hiring process."

Duffy added in his post on X: "In April, we launched a NEW CAMPAIGN to recruit video gamers as air traffic controllers — and supercharged the entire hiring process to get the BEST & BRIGHTEST in faster. The results are HISTORIC."

The recruitment video from April showed scenes from games including Fortnite and an American football title, and proclaimed: "You've been training for this..."

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🚨 GAME CHANGER

In April, we launched a NEW CAMPAIGN to recruit video gamers as air traffic controllers — and supercharged the entire hiring process to get the BEST & BRIGHTEST in faster. The results are HISTORIC ✈️

✅ 94% of hiring goal met — fastest time ever to reach target… pic.twitter.com/gN3OGmEIBB

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) August 9, 2026

Duffy said at the time: "To reach the next generation of air traffic controllers, we need to adapt. This campaign's innovative communication style and focus on gaming taps into a growing demographic of young adults who have many of the hard skills it takes to be a successful controller."

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) campaign detailed that it aimed to reach young adults who possess useful skills that are transferable to a career in air traffic control, including "demonstrated high cognitive functions," "multitasking," and "strategy and problem-solving."

In a video shared by Duffy on Sunday, several presumed candidates for the air traffic controller roles were interviewed.

Comments from them included "This is my dream career because I think ATC is the coolest thing ever," "You can merge aviation with gaming, why not? It's like the best of both worlds," and "I grew up playing a lot of flight simulators, I've always loved airplanes."

In April, it was stated that there were almost 11,000 controllers in service, with more than 4,000 trainees in the pipeline.

"We're building the strongest, sharpest workforce in aviation history," Duffy added on X.