A few weeks after the fatal hollow plane crash in Washington, DC, the Trump administration began firing hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, according to the professional aviation safety experts (PASS) union .
Alex Spero said that a statement from Pass's head took hundreds of agency probation workers to receive news via email late on Friday night, taking over a year. He said he received the news via email, though not.
It is part of Elon Musk's government efficiency (DOGE) drive to reduce costs, aimed at significantly reducing the federal workforce.
Spero called the shooting “shameful” and said it would “increase workload and place new responsibility on the already thinning workforce.”
The BBC contacted the FAA and the Ministry of Transport for comment.
Affected workers include systems experts, safety inspectors, maintenance mechanics and administrative staff, according to a Spero statement.
Criticizing the move, Spero said the FAA is “already being challenged by a staff shortage,” and the decision to cut staff was “past,” including a fatal crash at Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington, DC. “They said they were merciless in the aftermath of three fatal aircraft accidents.” 67 people were killed.
Jason King, among those fired, said he was worried about how the move would affect aviation safety.
He told WUSA9, an affiliate of the BBC's US partner CBS, that firing people directly involved in aviation safety is “a matter of public safety in our national space.”
King, who was involved in working with the FAA directly addressing safety concerns, said the cuts would “threate public confidence and increase the likelihood of future accidents.”
“Aviation safety should not be treated as a budget item that can be completely cut off,” he added.
On Monday, the team at Elon Musk's SpaceX was scheduled to propose improvements to the US air traffic control system to visit the FAA following the Washington DC plane crash in January.
The National Transport Safety Board has not yet determined the cause of the collision, but air traffic control staffing levels at the airport reportedly fell below normal levels in the evening of the crash.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy says that a SpaceX team's visit to the FAA will give them a “first look at the current system” and make how they make it a “new world-class air traffic control system” He said it would make it possible. Become the vy hope of the world. ”
He added that he plans to visit the FAA Academy, which provides training for the organization's workforce later this week.
President Donald Trump sparked controversy last month when he proposed that his predecessor-backed diversity program had lowered employment standards that could affect the crash of Washington, D.C. planes.
The Trump administration has ordered agencies to fire almost all probation employees who have not yet gained employment protection. This is a move that could affect hundreds of thousands of people.
Among those who lost their jobs in Friday's cuts were half of the so-called “sick detectives” centers for disease control, several health officials told CBS.
Researchers – Executives who work in a two-year program at the organization's epidemic intelligence agency are often deployed at the forefront of major illness outbreaks.
Many members of the scheme continue to raise the ranks of the institution.
President Trump also urged the Supreme Court to allow the head of an independent ethics agency that protects whistleblower federal employees to be fired.
Hampton Dillinger, head of the US Special Advisors Office, sued the Trump administration after being fired last month.
This is believed to be the first case in connection with Trump's series of enforcement actions to reach the country's Supreme Court.
Since taking office, the president has cut more than 12 inspector generals across various federal agencies.
