U.S. faces an air traffic controller shortage. It's turning to gamers for help

U.S. The U.S. faces an air traffic controller shortage. It's turning to gamers for help. By Mark Osborne Updated on: April 10, 2026 / 12:50 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Young people told by their parents to stop wasting their time playing video games and get a job now have a way to meld the two together, courtesy of the Department of Transportation.As the U.S. deals with a dangerous shortage of air traffic controllers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Friday the department would be targeting gamers to join the ranks of employees sitting in airport control towers."To reach the next generation of air traffic controllers, we need to adapt," Duffy said in a statement. "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."The agency has been dealing with ATC shortages at many airports across the country over the past decade. Increasing numbers is a top priority for Duffy. The Federal Aviation Administration employed 6% fewer air traffic controllers in fiscal year 2025 versus 2015, despite a 10% increase in total flights between fiscal years 2015 and 2024, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office released in December.Newark Liberty International Airport was particularly hard-hit last year due to staffing shortages at the Philadelphia air traffic control facility that manages flights into the New Jersey airport. The government shutdown last November also exacerbated many issues with air traffic controller shortages as employees were forced to work without pay for more than a month. Others decided to leave the industry entirely."The failure to pay air traffic controllers for 44 days created uncertainty, drove many experienced controllers out of the profession and harmed the recruitment pipeline," a spokesperson from the Department of Transportation told CBS News in November. A detailed view...