The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is targeting video game players as part of a new recruitment drive to address a critical shortage of air traffic controllers.
A recent recruitment video released by the Department of Transportation (DoT) features gameplay from titles such as Call of Duty, Fortnite, and League of Legends.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the agency must adapt to reach a new generation of professionals.
"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," Duffy said.
Hiring challenges and incentives
The FAA faces a significant deficit in its air traffic control corps despite years of recruitment efforts.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from December noted that the agency remains short thousands of controllers despite roughly 200,000 applicants over recent years.
The GAO attributed the shortage to a difficult hiring process, noting that only about two percent of applicants successfully complete the requirements.
Factors such as long wait periods and difficult screening appointments contribute to applicant attrition.
The DoT claims it has reduced the hiring process by more than five months in recent months.
Since March 2025, the agency has onboarded 2,400 air traffic controllers.
The FAA has also reached nearly 50 percent of its hiring goal for fiscal year 2026, with 1,200 new hires recorded so far this year.
However, the agency still struggles with high training failure rates.
The DoT's Office of Inspector General launched an audit of the FAA's academy following reports that one-third of candidates fail to finish the program.
"The Academy is facing considerable challenges with training, including a shortage of qualified instructors, training capacity limitations, an outdated curriculum, and high training failure rates," the Inspector General stated.
To attract new talent, the FAA is offering several financial incentives.
Experienced controllers can earn salaries exceeding $155,000 per year.
The agency is also offering $5,000 rewards for academy graduates, $10,000 for those accepting positions in hard-to-fill locations, and a 20 percent salary bonus for those who remain with the agency until retirement.
The annual hiring window opens Friday, April 17, at midnight Eastern, and the FAA will stop accepting applications once it reaches 8,000 submissions.
