The Trump administration has initiated the termination of several hundred Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) probationary employees responsible for maintaining critical air traffic control infrastructure, as reported by their union. The exact number of firings is yet to be determined, but the head of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO, confirmed that 'several hundred' workers began receiving termination notices on Friday, with the possibility of being barred from FAA facilities after the federal holiday.
This move comes shortly after a tragic midair collision over Washington, DC, claimed the lives of 67 individuals, shedding light on the shortages of air traffic controllers and FAA infrastructure issues. Following the crash, the FAA's system for disseminating crucial flight safety alerts to pilots experienced a failure, prompting the agency to resort to a backup system.
Since assuming office in January, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have brought significant changes to the federal workforce, including the dismissal of top officials and the voluntary departure of 77,000 employees through a deferred resignation offer. The administration recently expanded its efforts to terminate probationary workers, directing agencies to proceed with layoffs during a call.
The focus has been on probationary employees, who typically have less than a year of service, as they possess fewer job protections and lack the right to appeal. According to the most recent data from the US Office of Personnel Management, over 200,000 federal government employees have been in service for less than a year.
The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) represents more than 11,000 FAA and Department of Defense workers involved in installing, inspecting, and maintaining air traffic control communications, radio, and computer systems, as well as developing new flight procedures. PASS's national president, David Spero, emphasized the importance of basing staffing decisions on an agency's mission-critical needs, particularly in the context of public safety and the recent aircraft accidents.
It is worth noting that the terminated employees do not include air traffic controllers, who are facing a shortage that has persisted for decades. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently announced plans to collaborate with the DOGE team to enhance the aviation system, with Elon Musk expressing intentions to expedite safety upgrades to the air traffic control system through his Department of Government Efficiency.
