Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is pretty excited about gamers. On Sunday, he hailed the Department of Transportation's move to open up Air Traffic Controller applications to video game players, and the numbers are backing him up.

Record-Breaking Campaign

In a post on X, Duffy shared a clip from a Fox News interview, celebrating the campaign to hire gamers. He pointed out that in a sample of 250 trainee air traffic controllers in Oklahoma City, only three weren't gamers. "We thought there was a connection here. They [gamers] problem solve, they're spatially aware, they do multiple things at the same time," he said, drawing clear parallels between the skills needed for gaming and controlling air traffic.

The DOT decided to reach out directly to the gaming community, and the response was, well, record-breaking. "12 THOUSAND applications in 24 hours – the most in one day since the FAA was created 68 YEARS ago!" Duffy wrote in his post. Out of those 12,000 applications, 11,000 were already qualified, and 8,000 applicants were being asked to get their skills tested, according to the interview.

Trump Seeks 2,300 Controllers To Be Hired

This recruitment push comes as the Trump administration is reportedly looking to hire an additional 2,300 trainee air traffic controllers. The Federal Aviation Administration is also reportedly 3,500 employees short of its target, highlighting a chronic shortage that's been plaguing the aviation industry.

Remember last year's government shutdown? It caused widespread chaos as controllers worked without pay. The administration even offered a $10,000 bonus to controllers who didn't miss a single day during that mess. So, finding new talent isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a critical need to keep planes in the air safely.

Spirit Airlines To Cease Operations?

While the government is trying to hire more controllers, one airline might be running out of runway. Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc. (FLYYQ) could reportedly halt its operations as doubts remain about the airline's ability to clear its past dues. The airline had earlier filed for bankruptcy amid post-Covid-19 pandemic struggles, as well as a failed merger with JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU).

On the merger front, Duffy had earlier signaled Trump's approval for possible mergers between U.S. airlines as jet fuel costs surge amid the war with Iran. So, while one deal fell apart, the idea of consolidation in the sector is still very much in the air.