US hires over 2k video gamers as air traffic controllers

Video gamers are successful request to thief patrol the nation's skies.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said successful a recent societal media station that the national agency's recruitment campaign to enlistee gamers arsenic aerial postulation controllers has been a "game changer" for the Federal Aviation Administration.  

The FAA hired much than 2,000 video gamers to train arsenic aerial postulation controllers, gathering 94% of its hiring goal, according to the Transportation Department. Another 2,000-plus candidates are successful the hiring pipeline, Duffy added. 

Why video gamers?

When Duffy announced the inaugural successful April, he acknowledged that the Transportation Department needed to widen its scope to enlistee prospective aerial postulation controllers. 

"A batch of what they do playing games ... is what they do ...  controlling postulation successful the air," Duffy told CBS News elder proscription analogous Kris Van Cleave successful an question and reply connected Tuesday astatine New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport. 

Duffy added that galore existent trainees started retired arsenic gamers. Only astir 25% of controllers clasp a accepted assemblage degree, while erstwhile controllers statement that gaming requires galore of the aforesaid skills that aerial postulation controllers usage connected the job, specified arsenic reasoning quickly, staying focused and managing aggregate sources of accusation arsenic they guideline much than 80,000 flights to their destinations daily. 

How overmuch do controllers earn?

In 2024, the astir caller twelvemonth for which national information is available, the median yearly costs for aerial postulation controllers was $144,580. But salary varies wide depending connected a controller's acquisition and wherever they work. Less knowledgeable controllers astatine smaller airports gain adjacent to $60,000 a twelvemonth connected average, according to aviation experts. 

A December study from the U.S. Government Accountability Office pointed to a awesome shortage of aerial postulation controllers, informing that it could lead to much formation delays aliases cancellations. 

A authorities shutdown precocious past twelvemonth besides turned immoderate workers distant from the profession, arsenic controllers — who nether the rule are considered basal unit — were forced to activity without pay. 

Before personification qualifies to train astatine the FAA's Air Traffic Controller Academy successful Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, occupation candidates must acquisition a rigorous exertion process. Among the criteria to go a controller are to clasp U.S. citizenship, beryllium nether the property of 31 and walk the FAA aerial postulation pre-employment tests. 

Aspiring controllers must besides walk an exam that the FAA says predicts candidates' "aptitude to beryllium an aerial postulation controller." Within a week, they are notified if they person passed. 

Historically, less than 10% of applicants met the FAA's requirements to activity arsenic an aerial postulation controller and summation admittance to the agency's training program.

Edited by Alain Sherter

In:

• Federal Aviation Administration
• Sean Duffy