When information drips down on what causes the plane to collide with a helicopter in Washington, DC, all eyes are in air traffic rules and regulations. An investigation into the crash is underway, but few people are waiting for the result to jump to the offensive line.
The aviation security and air traffic control industry have been the subject of partisan conflict for years, and while American Airlines' jet crash left no survivors, it is in the midst of a major upheaval in the aviation world. On Thursday, Donald Trump denounced the rank diversity of air traffic controllers and flew quickly to criticize his predecessor for the lapse of air security.
It also crashes as Trump's new administration is cleaning up the sides of government that he disagres with.
At a press conference Thursday morning, Trump said he “has a very strong opinion and idea” about how the accident happened, and then Barack Obama and Joe Biden on Air Traffic Controller Standards. I took a political swipe.
He complained about diversity and inclusion measures, calling former Transport Secretary Pete Buttigee a “disaster” with a “good bullshit line.”
Especially when the Trump administration came in January 20th, it began to quickly fire federal employees. That is, the Federal Aviation Administration leadership is currently dotted with vacant seats. There is no administrator who has been announced to the Senate leading the agency.
Biden's administrator Michael Whitaker left the agency after billionaire Trump supporter Elon Musk demanded that he resign, the Daily Beast reported. Trump nominated Chris Rocheroux to lead the agency after crash.
Also, note: there has been a long-standing shortage of air traffic controllers the FAA is working on. Along with the shortage, there is an increase in near misses.
A 2023 New York Times survey found that “potentially dangerous incidents occur much more frequently than most people realize. Many insiders are under mounting stress. It's a sign of what we call a safety net.
The airspace in Washington, DC is also crowded, with a large number of commercial and military aircraft visible. This has been a source of concern for many years. The 2024 FAA Reauthorization Bill added five daily enrollments and five outbound flights to Washington National Airport. Supporters of the bill partly wanted more direct routes to their homeland.
“The very title of “Direct Access to Capital Law” means that this bill will maximize the personal convenience of a relatively small number of strong, connected individuals at the expense of flight safety and efficiency. Give the game what is written for. This should be our number one priority,” Virginia Rep. Don Bayer told the Washington Post at the time.
To what extent is the Trump administration's federal employment freeze and orders to return to workplaces, it is unclear, but it could have affected federal aviation employees.
The blanket employing freeze said, “There is no federal civil status open at noon on January 20, 2025, and will not be filled and new positions will not be created.” exempts public safety positions that may include.
Democrats believe employment freezes will apply to air traffic controllers. Rick Larsen, a ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, issued a statement that the freeze is inconsistent with the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Bill, which requires the maximum number of controllers to be hired.
“According to the aviation industry as a whole, hiring an air traffic controller is one safety issue,” Larsen said. “Instead of working to improve aviation safety and reduce the costs of making American families diligent, the administration would expand what Dei claims to justify this decision. I've chosen it.”
Trump also ousted David Pekoske, the administrator of the Transportation Security Agency (TSA), disrupted the Aviation Security Advisory Committee. The leaders of the previous department of TSA warned that efforts to end remote work would lead to institutional exhaustion and loss of knowledge.
Conservatives often condemn the lack of air traffic controllers on diversity measures. This has attacked so often that one of Trump's executive orders has focused specifically on the end of the FAA's diversity program, part of the new administration's government-wide push against these programs. .
The fact sheet on the order will specifically address the FAA under Biden's “serious intellectual” disorders, psychiatric issues, and individuals with complete paralysis against other individuals seeking to work for the FAA. “We have hired and hired.”
Aviation groups oppose claims that diversity programs reduce air safety.
Tennessee Garvey, pilot and chairman of the Black Aerospace Experts organization, told NBC News that the DEI was inappropriately “weaponized” and condemned safety issues without evidence.
“There was no evidence that Dei caused any safety issues.
