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The Federal Aviation Administration is following up on a campaign in April that targeted gamers as air traffic controllers.
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According to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy 12,350 people applied to become a part of America’s air traffic controller ranks in mid-April.
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Duffy said in a social media post on August 9 that more than 2,000 people were hired.
🚨 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
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— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) August 9, 2026
In May, the FAA released an Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan in which the agency would be focused on expanding aggressive supercharged hiring, optimizing controller efficiency and modernizing the National Airspace System.
“This forward-thinking plan delivers on President Donald J. Trump’s promise to provide the American flying public with a world-class air traffic control system, and that starts with highly trained, professional air traffic controllers,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “We can’t continue to operate the same way and expect better results. We’re changing how we hire, train and schedule our controller workforce – and providing them with the state-of-the-art tools they need to succeed.”
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The federal government also invested more than $835 million to modernize air traffic control facilities across the country, replacing eight aging air traffic control towers and upgrade facilities at 41 airports in 24 states.
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