Revision History

The FAA is recruiting video gamers to address a shortfall of roughly 3,000 certified air traffic controllers, betting that skills honed in fast-paced games translate to managing 45,000 daily flights. But with a two-to-six-year path from application to certification, critics argue the campaign distracts from deeper structural problems — training bottlenecks, mandatory retirement at 56, chronic underfunding, and a pay scale that starts new hires at $22.61 an hour.