Air traffic controllers union president backs FAA’s push to recruit video-game players

The Federal Aviation Administration’s recent recruitment effort targeting people who play video games has drawn support from the head of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, who said the approach could help broaden the pool of qualified candidates for air traffic control work. Nick Daniels, the union president, made the remarks in an interview carried by NewsNation, a sister outlet of The Hill, on the same day he discussed the FAA hiring strategy.

Daniels said the skills developed through gaming can translate to air traffic control. In the interview, he told NewsNation and The Hill that gaming abilities “absolutely” carry over to working as an air traffic controller, framing the talent match as an issue of aptitude rather than traditional pathways into the occupation.

The union president also characterized the FAA’s approach as innovative. Daniels described the FAA’s recruitment move as an “innovative approach to capture” people with relevant skills, indicating that the agency is looking beyond conventional recruiting channels to attract applicants.

The remarks come against a backdrop of an ongoing need for trained air traffic controllers, an operational requirement for the aviation system. Daniels’ comments did not specify the number of hires, the duration of the recruiting effort, or the particular job roles involved in the FAA’s gaming-focused outreach, according to the account reported by The Hill.

Daniels’ support places the union leadership on record endorsing at least part of the FAA’s personnel strategy, at a time when controller staffing and training are central to safe and reliable operations in the air traffic control system. While the interview highlighted the potential for “capture” of talent through gaming experience, it did not outline a change in certification standards or licensing requirements for controllers.

The FAA’s stated recruitment focus, as described in the interview, centers on applicants with video game experience. Daniels’ endorsement suggests that the union views the relevant capabilities developed in gaming as compatible with the cognitive and coordination demands associated with the job, though the reporting did not provide a detailed breakdown of which game attributes the FAA or the union consider most relevant.

The next practical step for the FAA, based on the public discussion, would be how it implements and measures the recruiting effort, including whether applicants routed through this approach meet qualification benchmarks during hiring and training. For the union, Daniels’ comments report continued engagement with how the FAA evaluates candidate readiness from nontraditional backgrounds.

For air travelers and airlines, the recruiting method itself is an internal workforce issue, but controller staffing levels can affect the operational capacity of the air traffic system. Daniels’ public support is therefore directed at workforce development, rather than at any change to regulations or enforcement actions tied to aviation operations.