The administration under Trump has initiated the termination of hundreds of employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as reported by the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) union, just weeks after a tragic mid-air plane collision in Washington DC.
Numerous probationary employees at the agency, typically in their positions for under a year, were informed of their layoffs via email late Friday night, according to Alex Spero, head of PASS.
This action is part of a cost-reduction initiative spearheaded by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which seeks to significantly reduce the federal workforce.
Spero labeled the firings as “shameful,” asserting that they “will escalate the workload and impose additional obligations on a workforce that is already overburdened.”
The BBC has reached out to the FAA and the department of transport for their perspective.
As outlined in Spero’s statement, the layoffs will impact systems specialists, safety inspectors, maintenance mechanics, and administrative staff, among others.
Criticizing this decision, Spero pointed out that the FAA is “already grappling with understaffing,” and described the choice to downsize as “unconscionable in light of three deadly aircraft incidents in the past month,” including the tragic crash at Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan airport, which resulted in 67 fatalities.
Jason King, one of the employees affected by the layoffs, expressed concern over the impact this would have on aviation safety.
He mentioned to WUSA9, a CBS affiliate, that dismissing individuals directly involved in air safety raises “serious concerns regarding public safety within our national airspace.”
Mr. King, whose role at the FAA involved addressing safety issues, warned that these cuts “undermine public trust and elevate the risk of future accidents.”
“Aviation safety should never be considered merely a budget line to be slashed,” he emphasized.
On the following Monday, a team from Elon Musk’s SpaceX was scheduled to meet with the FAA to propose enhancements to the U.S. air traffic control system, following the plane collision in January.
Although the National Transport Safety Board has yet to ascertain the cause of the collision, reports indicate that staffing in air traffic control at the airport was below normal levels on the night of the incident.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy remarked that the SpaceX delegation’s visit to the FAA would grant them a “first-hand look at the current system,” enabling them to determine how to develop “a new, world-class air traffic control system that will be the envy of the globe.”
He also stated his intention to tour the FAA Academy – responsible for training the organization’s workforce – later this week to learn more about employee education “and ensure that only the finest individuals guide our aircraft.”
Last month, President Donald Trump sparked controversy by suggesting that diversity programs established by previous administrations may have lowered hiring standards, potentially influencing the Washington DC plane crash.
The Trump administration has mandated that government agencies terminate almost all of their probationary employees, who have not yet secured job protection. This decision could impact hundreds of thousands of individuals.
Among those affected by Friday’s layoffs were a significant portion of the Centers for Disease Control’s “disease detectives,” as revealed by several health officials to CBS.
These researchers – formally officers engaged in a two-year program within the organization’s Epidemic Intelligence Service – often serve on the front lines during significant disease outbreaks.
Numerous participants in the program have subsequently advanced within the agency.
Additionally, President Trump has requested the Supreme Court’s approval to dismiss the head of an independent ethics agency that safeguards whistleblower federal employees.
Hampton Dellinger, director of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration following his dismissal last month.
This is believed to be the first lawsuit stemming from Trump’s executive actions to reach the nation’s highest court.
Since taking office, the president has dismissed more than a dozen inspectors general across various federal agencies.
