The Federal Aviation Administration has drawn heavy interest after launching a recruiting campaign aimed at video gamers, hoping to bring more people into air traffic control jobs during an ongoing staffing shortage.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the response was immediate. Speaking Friday at the Semafor World Economy Summit, he said thousands of people applied within hours after the application window opened.
According to Duffy, the FAA had already received 6,000 applications by 7 a.m. Eastern time, around seven hours after the posting went live. The agency originally planned to stop at 8,000 applicants, a mark he expected could be reached before midday. By the next day, the application period had closed.
Later, in a video posted to Facebook, Duffy said the final total reached 12,350 applications. He also said 10,779 of those applicants met qualification standards for controller positions.
The hiring campaign began April 10 and relied heavily on gaming imagery to attract younger workers. Online ads featured scenes from video games alongside footage of airport towers, radar screens, aircraft, and controllers at workstations. One message told viewers to “level up” by applying.
Duffy said the idea came from noticing similarities between gaming skills and the demands of air traffic control. Controllers must track multiple moving aircraft, make quick decisions, stay focused for long periods, and communicate clearly under pressure. He said many gamers are already used to handling several tasks at once on screen.
Officials also pointed to internal surveys when shaping the campaign. Duffy said about 250 students connected to the air traffic training academy were polled before the 2024 election, and only three said they were not gamers. That result led the department to focus more attention on that group.
This is not the first time the FAA has tried that strategy. In 2021, the agency introduced another recruiting push called “Level Up,” which also targeted younger applicants with gaming backgrounds.
The current campaign comes as the FAA continues trying to fill controller positions across the country. The department said there are close to 11,000 active controllers now, along with more than 4,000 trainees moving through the hiring and training process. Even so, vacancies remain.
A January report from the Government Accountability Office found the total number of controllers has fallen by about 6 percent over the last decade. During that same period, flights depending on controller support increased by roughly 10 percent.
The FAA has previously said full staffing would require 14,663 active controllers, meaning the workforce was still thousands short of that level. More departures are also expected in the coming years as older workers retire.
To help expand staffing, President Donald Trump’s proposed 2027 budget includes $481 million for faster controller hiring and retention efforts.
The open position was listed as “Air Traffic Control Specialist – Trainee.” No previous experience in air traffic control was required. Selected applicants would begin training at the FAA Academy before moving into field assignments.
Pay was also part of the recruiting message. Trainees earn hourly wages during academy instruction, while certified controllers average about $155,000 annually after three years, with higher salaries possible in some locations.
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