Hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees were fired last week, and Newsweek broke what they knew about which roles were affected.
The Ministry of Transport told Newsweek:
Why is it important?
The layoffs have been triggered by several aviation accidents across the country in recent weeks.
Recently, just weeks after the Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger plane on the Potomac River in Washington, DC, a Delta Linejet capsized as it landed in a very windy state on Monday, resulting in a 64-person surge. He insisted on the lives of all passengers. As a crew member of three helicopters.
AP
What do you know
A shortage of air traffic control personnel has been cited by several people as reasons for the collision, including Alan Diehl, a former safety advisor to the FAA and the US Air Force.
Former Democratic Transport Secretary Pete Butttigigue wrote on his previous Twitter X:
Current Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said air traffic controllers have not been fired, but some still question the decision to fire multiple workers during this period.
Of the approximately 400 employees fired, the FAA's total of 45,000 workers, an air traffic controller or critical safety officer said in his response to X's Buttigieg.
The professional aviation safety experts union told Reuters that the roughly 300 workers representing those who were fired include maintenance mechanics, aviation information experts, aviation safety assistants, management and program assistants. He said he was there.
“These are essential positions to support public safety,” the spokesman said.
Similarly, the air traffic controller told The Associated Press that those fired include those employed to maintain FAA radar, landing assistance and navigation aid.
Transportation officials told the AP that the FAA “maintains employees who perform important safety functions.”
What people are saying
New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer wrote X: “We are grateful that everyone in the Toronto flight incidents that took off from Minneapolis is safe, but we continue to see these incidents every day. – including safety experts – and I They are making their skies safer.
According to the airport's chief executive, Delta's airline was tipped over the roof while landing at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday, but all 80 people on board survived, with the injured being relatively minor injuries. I was owed.
We are grateful that everyone in the Toronto flight incidents that took off from Minneapolis is safe, but we continue to watch these incidents every day.
Meanwhile, Trump is making massive layoffs with the FAA — including safety experts — and making our skies more and more secure.
– Chuck Schumer (@senschumer) February 17, 2025
“We've seen a lot of people living in the world,” said Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, who is on the Senate Commerce Committee on Monday.
What will happen next
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association states that it will “analyse the impact of reported termination of federal employees on aviation safety, the National Space System, and our members.”
The Ministry of Transport said the FAA “continues to hire safe experts, including air traffic controllers, safety experts, and mechanical experts.”
Updated 2/18/25, 11:15 am ET: This article has been updated and contains comments from the Ministry of Transport.
