The Federal Aviation Administration is officially recruiting video game players to be part of the next generation of air traffic controllers. Part of that push has been accompanied by a new ad campaign aimed at gamers that uses video game footage and Xbox sound effects to make the pitch that players can earn a six-figure salary by applying their in-game skills to the real world.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared a statement about the campaign’s outreach to a subset of people who may have some of the necessary skills to work in air traffic control.
“To reach the next generation of air traffic controllers, we need to adapt,” said Duffy. “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.”
According to The New York Times, the government already noted a high correlation between air traffic academy graduates and video game players. The story cites a 2024 internal poll conducted by the FAA which reportedly claims that only two out of the 250 graduates weren’t gamers.
Although the report notes that there over 11,000 air traffic controllers currently employed in the US, there is still a severe lack of qualified applicants for the approximately 14,663 total positions it would take for full staffing to be achieved. This air traffic controller shortfall has led to numerous flight delays.
The FAA is going to open its hiring window on April 17, and only 8,000 applicants will be accepted at that time. It remains to be seen how successful the latest outreach to players will be.
It’s also unclear if the FAA cleared its recruitment video with the gaming publishers, including Xbox. The Trump administration does have a habit of not asking permission from IP holders. The Pokemon Company recently pushed back against the administration’s use of Pokemon imagery in its social media posts promoting ICE. The White House has also been called out for using Call of Duty footage in its clips touting the war in Iran.
