- Hundreds of FAA probationary employees were fired over the weekend, their union said.
- The firings, which include air traffic controllers, come as the agency faces staffing shortages.
- The FAA is the latest government agency to be impacted by Trump’s aims to cut federal spending.
Hundreds of probationary Federal Aviation Association employees — including air traffic controllers — have been fired, according to their union, just weeks after a deadly Washington, DC, plane crash.
The firings were carried out “without cause” and were not based on employees’ “performance or conduct,” the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists said in a February 15 statement.
Some employees received a termination email on Friday, and the union said it is possible that others received termination emails over the weekend or could be “literally barred from entering FAA buildings” when they return to work on Tuesday.
The union said the emails were sent from an ‘exec order’ Microsoft email address, not a .gov address.
The White House, FAA, and the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.
The White House’s move to reduce the FAA workforce comes after a military helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger plane outside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January, killing 67 people. The tragedy underscored staffing challenges within the FAA and potential safety shortcomings in federal aviation policy.
Following the crash, Trump promised to make “rapid” improvements to US air travel, while also blaming the the crash on the FAA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on February 16 that “President Trump has ordered that I deliver a new, world-class air traffic control system that will be the envy of the world.”
Aviation industry leaders have warned that long-standing understaffing within the FAA could put future airline operations at risk.
“This draconian action will increase the workload and place new responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin,” said David Spero, National President of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, in the February 15 statement.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association also told Business Insider that it is “analyzing the effect of the reported federal employee terminations on aviation safety.”
The FAA workforce includes thousands of government employees at all levels of aviation, including systems specialists, safety inspectors, mechanics, air traffic control, and administrative staff. Probationary employees, who the union said have been most impacted by the firings, are typically new hires.
The FAA is one of many government agencies to face staffing cuts from Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Thousands of employees at the Agency for International Development, the Office of Personnel Management, the Forest Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and more have received similar termination notices in recent weeks as the administration vows to slash federal spending.
Are you an FAA employee or an affected federal worker? If so, reach out to this reporter on a non-work device at allisonkelly@businessinsider.com or on the secure messaging app Signal at alliekelly.10
