Washington, D.C. – The Trump administration has begun the process of terminating several hundred employees from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), just weeks after a fatal midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January.
The dismissals, which were communicated via late-night emails on Friday, targeted probationary workers, including personnel responsible for maintaining the FAA’s radar, landing, and navigational aid systems. David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, confirmed the terminations in a statement. The employees affected also included those involved in classified radar systems for national security purposes, such as a programme designed to detect incoming cruise missiles to protect Hawaii.
According to reports, the dismissed staff members had been working on sensitive FAA projects that play a crucial role in air traffic control and national defence. One terminated employee, Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander, who had worked on radar systems for the Defence Department’s National Airspace System Defence Program, expressed concern about the potential risks to national security following the firings. “This is about protecting national security, and I’m scared to death,” he said. “The American public should be scared too.”
In a statement on Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy clarified that fewer than 400 FAA employees had been let go, and insisted that air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were exempt from the terminations. However, questions remain regarding whether some of the affected workers were involved in critical safety functions, including radar and navigation maintenance.
The FAA’s staffing shortages have long been a source of concern, particularly as federal officials have repeatedly warned of an overstretched air traffic control system. The fatal crash on January 29, which involved a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet, is still under investigation. The crash occurred at a busy airport, where one air traffic controller was handling both commercial airline and helicopter traffic. The incident has highlighted the ongoing challenges facing the aviation industry, including understaffing and the overworked air traffic control system.
The firings also come just days after President Donald Trump dismissed all members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, which is responsible for advising on aviation safety following the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. This move raised concerns about the potential weakening of safety oversight at a time when the aviation sector faces increasing scrutiny.
Spitzer-Stadtlander, who was among those terminated, speculated that his dismissal was partly due to his outspoken views on companies such as Tesla and X (formerly Twitter), both owned by Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is leading efforts to reduce the size of the federal government. Spitzer-Stadtlander had previously criticised Musk on social media, which he claims led to increased attention from DOGE.
While the firings have raised alarms over the impact on aviation safety, particularly given the ongoing staffing challenges and the sensitive nature of some of the work performed by the affected employees, the Trump administration has yet to offer detailed explanations regarding the broader implications for the FAA’s operations.
The mass firings, which were first reported by CNN, have prompted further questions about the future of air safety and national security, especially in light of the FAA’s significant responsibilities in maintaining the integrity of the U.S. airspace system. The incident underscores the deepening concerns about the long-term consequences of underfunding and understaffing in critical government agencies, including aviation oversight.