What the FAA Layoffs Mean for Air Safety

This past weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the nation’s leading aviation authority, was once again in the limelight as the Trump Administration made the controversial decision to dismiss hundreds of FAA employees. This action follows a tragic midair collision over Washington, D.C., which resulted in the loss of 67 lives just weeks earlier.

Most of those terminated were probationary workers, part of a wider initiative led by the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an effort associated with billionaire Elon Musk aimed at making government operations more efficient. While no air traffic controllers were among those let go, the firings have sparked significant concern regarding the agency’s capacity to uphold vital operations, especially as it grapples with existing staffing shortages and mounting scrutiny due to a series of recent incidents. Just the following day, a Delta Air Lines flight arriving from Minneapolis crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport, resulting in injuries to at least 18 individuals as the aircraft flipped upside down on the runway.

Experts in aviation safety and union officials are voicing alarm that these layoffs could further burden an agency already under pressure to enhance its safety record and address workforce deficiencies. The union representing the affected employees labeled the terminations as a “hasty decision” that would “increase the workload and impose additional responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin.” They emphasized that such actions are particularly egregious following three deadly aviation accidents in just one month.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy responded to the backlash on social media, stating, “The FAA boasts a considerable workforce of 45,000 employees. Fewer than 400 were let go, all of whom were probationary and had been hired less than a year ago. Importantly, no air traffic controllers or essential safety personnel were dismissed.”

Let’s delve into what the FAA is and its role.

What is the FAA and what does it do?

The FAA serves as the primary federal authority responsible for aviation safety in the United States. Established within the U.S. Department of Transportation, this agency regulates civil aviation, oversees air traffic control, manages airport operations, and certifies aircraft.

The agency was created by Congress in the wake of a tragic incident in 1958, when a military jet collided with a commercial airliner at 21,000 feet over Las Vegas.

In addition to its day-to-day operations, the FAA plays a crucial, albeit lesser-known, role in national security. It safeguards U.S. airspace through initiatives like the National Airspace System Defense Program, which employs radar systems to identify potential missile threats or unauthorized aircraft. The FAA also regulates unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, within the nation’s airspace. Recently, the agency temporarily prohibited drone flights in New Jersey due to reports of unidentified, brightly colored flying objects.

The FAA’s jurisdiction even extends to rocket launches, including those from Musk’s SpaceX. Last year, the agency proposed civil penalties against SpaceX for alleged non-compliance with licensing requirements, prompting Musk to threaten legal action against the FAA for what he termed “regulatory overreach.”

According to a Government Accountability Office report released last year, the FAA has been grappling with workforce shortages and outdated technology for an extended period. The report revealed that over one-third of the FAA’s systems were deemed “unsustainable,” either due to obsolescence or a lack of spare parts. The GAO highlighted the agency’s slow pace in modernization and noted the absence of clear plans for addressing critical systems.

The impact of recent firings

Department of Transportation officials quickly sought to downplay the ramifications of the recent layoffs, arguing that they primarily affected probationary employees and did not involve air traffic controllers. Nonetheless, these firings come amid mounting criticism from President Donald Trump and others regarding the FAA’s operational effectiveness.

Union representatives contend that the layoffs disproportionately impacted technical staff, particularly those working in radar maintenance and other essential infrastructure roles.

David Spero, the national president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO, commented, “This decision failed to take into account the staffing requirements of the FAA, which is already struggling with understaffing. Staffing choices should align with the agency’s mission-critical needs. Ignoring this is perilous for public safety, particularly in light of three fatal aircraft incidents in the past month.”

The FAA employees dismissed over the weekend were part of a broader wave of federal layoffs affecting thousands across the nation, which began on Thursday with minimal notice and primarily targeted probationary workers—those who have been employed for less than one or two years and are easier to terminate. The Trump Administration has mandated that most agencies release nearly all probationary employees lacking civil service protections.

Read More: ‘The Worst I’ve Ever Seen’: Trump’s Mass Layoffs Leave Federal Workers Baffled and Angry

One of the affected individuals, Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander, worked for the FAA’s National Defense Program. In a LinkedIn post, he described his role as “responsible for safeguarding the National Air Space against threats like missiles, enemy drones, and aircraft potentially used as weapons (think 9/11).”

“The FAA NDP is a small but vital component in protecting the American public and many border states that face potential threats from adversaries like China and Russia,” he stated.

Musk allies reviewing air traffic control system

Secretary Duffy announced plans to revamp the air traffic control system, with assistance from a team of engineers from Musk’s SpaceX. This company, whose rocket launches are overseen by the FAA, is currently facing proposed penalties from the agency. On Monday, the engineering team toured the FAA’s command center in Virginia to gain insight into the current system, learn about the preferences of air traffic controllers regarding their tools, and brainstorm ideas for creating a new, improved, and safer system. The specific expertise the SpaceX engineers can offer to the FAA remains uncertain.

Trump’s criticism of the FAA

Following the tragic crash near D.C. in late January, President Donald Trump publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the FAA, attributing the incident to diversity initiatives despite a lack of supporting evidence.

“We need brilliant people in those positions,” Trump stated, alleging that the agency altered its standards under former President Joe Biden, actively recruiting individuals with significant intellectual or psychological challenges as part of diversity and inclusion efforts. These remarks have drawn widespread criticism, with detractors arguing that the President overlooks the crucial technical work performed by FAA employees across various divisions, and noting that the air traffic controller diversity program he criticized was established during his initial term.

Trump also faced backlash for disbanding all members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, a body created by Congress following the 1988 PanAm 103 bombing to advise the Department of Homeland Security on aviation safety. Although the committee remains nominally in existence, it currently lacks any members to fulfill its mission of reviewing safety issues and recommending improvements to airport and airline security.