According to reports by CNN, the Trump Administration has initiated the process of terminating the employment of hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) workers who are responsible for maintaining crucial air traffic control infrastructure. This move comes at a time when Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been selected to assist in the development of a new air traffic control system.
The exact number of workers affected by the terminations is not yet clear, but the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) union has stated that the firings primarily targeted probationary workers, also known as new hires on a trial period. It is worth noting that these workers are not air traffic controllers, a position that has been experiencing staffing shortages for decades.
David Spero, president of the PASS union, revealed that the affected workers received emails late on Friday night informing them of their termination. These workers were responsible for maintaining FAA radar, landing, and navigational aid systems, as confirmed by an air traffic controller who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
Galen Munroe, deputy director of public affairs at the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), provided further details to TechCrunch, stating that the terminated workers included aircraft certification specialists, aviation technical system specialists, engineers, architects, and employees of the flight procedures team, among others.
Spero highlighted that the employees were fired without any cause or consideration of their performance or conduct. Notably, the termination emails were sent from a non-government email address, specifically an “exec order Microsoft email address.”
Congress has been urging the FAA to address the recurring pattern of near-misses and modernize critical systems for years, but experts claim that the agency has failed to take adequate action on known issues.
In a statement, Nick Daniels, president of NATCA, expressed his concerns, saying: “We will analyze the impact of these terminations on aviation safety and the national airspace system. It’s a sad day for those who chose to serve in aviation safety and public service, only to have their careers cut short.”
This development comes just weeks after a fatal mid-air collision occurred at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in D.C. in January, where one controller was handling both helicopter and commercial airline traffic. Several other crashes have taken place since then.
Following the Washington D.C. crash, Elon Musk announced on X that Trump had given his DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) team approval to implement rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system.
However, neither Musk nor Trump has disclosed the details of these proposed safety upgrades.
On Monday, members of Musk’s SpaceX team are scheduled to visit the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia to gain a firsthand understanding of the current system, identify the likes and dislikes of air traffic controllers regarding their current tools, and envision a new, better, modern, and safer system. This was announced by Sean Duffy, Secretary of the Department of Transportation, in a post on X.
This article has been updated to include additional information and a statement from NATCA.
