This past weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the foremost authority on aviation safety in the United States, found itself at the center of controversy after the Trump Administration made the contentious decision to lay off hundreds of its employees. This decision comes on the heels of a catastrophic midair collision over Washington, D.C., which claimed 67 lives just weeks prior.
The majority of those affected were probationary staff, part of a broader initiative spearheaded by the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an effort linked to billionaire Elon Musk’s goal of streamlining government operations. Although no air traffic controllers were among the terminated personnel, the layoffs have raised serious concerns about the FAA’s ability to maintain essential functions, particularly as it faces existing staffing shortages and increased scrutiny following several recent incidents. Just a day later, a Delta Air Lines flight arriving from Minneapolis crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport, injuring at least 18 passengers as the aircraft flipped over on the runway.
Aviation safety experts and union representatives are voicing serious worries that these layoffs could further strain an agency that’s already under pressure to improve its safety standards and resolve workforce issues. The union representing the terminated employees described the layoffs as a “hasty decision” that would “increase the workload and impose additional responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin.” They emphasized that such actions are especially troubling given the recent spate of three deadly aviation accidents in a single month.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy responded to the outcry on social media, asserting, “The FAA has a robust workforce of 45,000 employees. Fewer than 400 were let go, all probationary and hired within the past year. Importantly, no air traffic controllers or essential safety personnel were affected.”
Now, let’s take a closer look at the FAA and its significant role.
What is the FAA and what does it do?
The FAA is the primary federal agency responsible for ensuring aviation safety across the United States. Established under the U.S. Department of Transportation, the FAA regulates civil aviation, oversees air traffic control, manages airport operations, and certifies aircraft for flight.
This agency was formed in response to a tragic accident in 1958, when a military jet collided with a commercial airliner flying at 21,000 feet over Las Vegas.
Beyond its daily operations, the FAA also plays a critical yet often overlooked role in national security. It protects U.S. airspace through programs like the National Airspace System Defense Program, which utilizes radar systems to detect potential missile threats or unauthorized aircraft. Additionally, the FAA regulates unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, in U.S. airspace. Recently, the agency temporarily banned drone flights in New Jersey following reports of unidentified, brightly colored flying objects.
The FAA’s jurisdiction even extends to overseeing rocket launches, including those conducted by Musk’s SpaceX. Last year, the agency proposed civil penalties against SpaceX for alleged violations of licensing requirements, prompting Musk to threaten legal action against the FAA, deeming it “regulatory overreach.”
According to a Government Accountability Office report released last year, the FAA has been struggling with workforce shortages and outdated technology for a long time. The report indicated that over one-third of the FAA’s systems were classified as “unsustainable,” either due to obsolescence or a lack of available spare parts. The GAO highlighted the agency’s slow modernization efforts and the absence of clear plans for addressing critical system needs.
The impact of recent firings
Officials from the Department of Transportation quickly attempted to downplay the consequences of the recent layoffs, arguing that they mainly impacted probationary employees and did not involve air traffic controllers. However, these firings come amid rising criticism from President Donald Trump and others regarding the FAA’s operational efficiency.
Union representatives argue that the layoffs disproportionately affected technical personnel, particularly those involved in radar maintenance and other essential infrastructure functions.
David Spero, the national president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO, remarked, “This decision failed to consider the staffing needs of the FAA, which is already facing understaffing issues. Staffing decisions should align with the agency’s mission-critical requirements. Ignoring this is dangerous for public safety, especially given three fatal aircraft incidents in the past month.”
The FAA employees laid off over the weekend were part of a larger wave of federal job cuts affecting thousands across the country, which began on Thursday with little notice and primarily targeted probationary workers—those typically employed for less than one or two years and easier to dismiss. The Trump Administration has mandated that most agencies reduce their workforce by releasing nearly all probationary employees who lack civil service protections.
Read More: ‘The Worst I’ve Ever Seen’: Trump’s Mass Layoffs Leave Federal Workers Baffled and Angry
One of those impacted, Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander, who worked with the FAA’s National Defense Program, shared on LinkedIn that he was “responsible for safeguarding the National Air Space against threats like missiles, enemy drones, and aircraft that could potentially be used as weapons (like those seen on 9/11).”
“The FAA NDP is a small yet crucial element in protecting the American public and many border states that may face threats from adversaries such as China and Russia,” he emphasized.
Musk’s associates evaluating air traffic control systems
Secretary Duffy announced plans to overhaul the air traffic control system, with support from a team of engineers from SpaceX. This company, whose rocket launches are supervised by the FAA, is currently facing proposed penalties from the agency. On Monday, the engineering team visited the FAA’s command center in Virginia to familiarize themselves with the existing system, understand air traffic controllers’ preferences for their tools, and brainstorm ideas for developing a new, enhanced, and safer system. The specific contributions the SpaceX engineers can provide to the FAA remain unclear.
Trump’s critique of the FAA
In the aftermath of the tragic crash near D.C. in late January, President Donald Trump publicly criticized the FAA, linking the incident to diversity initiatives without providing any supportive evidence.
“We need brilliant individuals in those positions,” Trump asserted, alleging that the agency changed its standards under former President Joe Biden, actively recruiting candidates with significant intellectual or psychological challenges as part of diversity and inclusion efforts. These comments have faced widespread backlash, with critics arguing that the President overlooks the critical technical work performed by FAA employees across various divisions, noting that the air traffic controller diversity program he criticized was enacted during his own administration.
Trump also received criticism for disbanding all members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, a body established by Congress after the 1988 PanAm 103 bombing to provide guidance to the Department of Homeland Security on aviation safety. Although the committee is still technically in place, it currently lacks any members to carry out its mission of reviewing safety concerns and recommending improvements to airport and airline security.
