Every year, the number of flights in the United States goes up — but the pool of air traffic controllers who manage airplane runways keeps going down. Fewer air traffic controllers mean delayed or canceled flights at best, and potential crashes at worst. The American government has spent the last year trying to address this problem, and its solution has turned out to be … Fortnite?
Being an air traffic controller can be a lucrative gig with median annual wages coming in at $144,580 as of 2024. It usually takes years of training to be fully certified as an air traffic controller, or it did before the government got involved. In 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation launched a campaign to recruit gamers into the ranks of air traffic controllers. The idea was inspired by existing air traffic controllers who said the hobby influenced their decision to take up the profession — and that gaming helped them sharpen the skills necessary to succeed on the job.
Ads targeting this demographic depicted a series of young men excitedly discussing the opportunity to merge their love of gaming with a career that rewards quick decision-making. Interviews with these air traffic control candidates were interspersed with footage of games like Fortnite.
A year later, the fruits of that campaign are starting to bloom. On Aug. 9, US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy claimed that the department had already hired 2,000 gamers through a streamlined process that allowed candidates to reach the academy faster than previous cohorts. In a post on X, Duffy emphasized that the new system allowed the government to recruit the “best & brightest” possible candidates. Under normal circumstances, only a small percentage of air traffic controller applicants would be accepted into the academy before undergoing a rigorous training regimen.
The idea has proven controversial with the public, as the shortage has arguably been exacerbated by a lack of steady pay amid government shutdowns. If such practices continue, then the number of trained operators won’t matter: no one will want the job. Recent attempts by the government to hasten recruitment in sensitive career segments have also turned out poorly. In the past, air traffic controllers called the chronically understaffed job one of the most stressful in the world.
Public concerns about safety in this situation are understandable, but personally? I’d trust an iPad kid who can build Fortnite towers in split seconds with my life.
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