This week, the federal government and Trump administration fired several hundred Federal Aviation Administration employees, just weeks after a fatal collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C.

Probationary workers received late-night emails Feb. 14 notifying them of their termination. Those fired include personnel hired for FAA radar, navigational aid maintenance and landing. According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, less than 400 FAA employees were fired, and that did not include any air traffic controllers or critical safety personnel.

The union representing the terminated employees called the firings a “hastily made decision” that would increase the workload of those already stretched thin in the industry.

Elon Musk, tapped by President Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, a commission investigating government agencies for large layoffs, responded to Duffy’s statement, saying he and his department “aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system.”

David Spero, founder of the Pass union, which represents more than 11,000 FAA and Department of Defense workers who inspect, install and maintain air traffic control systems, said, “It is shameful to toss aside dedicated public servants…especially unconscionable in the aftermath of three deadly aircraft accidents in the past month.”

These layoffs may put even more stress on a system already under duress as aviation continues to suffer from a shortage of air traffic controllers. In November 2023, Jennifer Homendy, chair, National Transportation Safety Board, said, “Our safety system is showing clear signs of strain that we cannot ignore.”

Her statement came after a series of close calls between aircraft, something that finally culminated in a mid-air collision this year, resulting in the deaths of 67 passengers.

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