Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation

TLDR

This executive order mandates immediate changes to FAA hiring practices, eliminating DEI initiatives in favor of merit-based hiring, requiring review of current employees’ performance, and potentially impacting staffing and operations across the agency that oversees 45,000 daily flights and 2.9 million passengers.

This memorandum focuses on changes to FAA hiring practices and can be analyzed in several key aspects:

It mandates an immediate shift in FAA hiring practices, eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in favor of what it terms “merit-based hiring”. The order specifically targets the removal of hiring considerations based on race, sex, disability, or any criteria other than job performance and qualifications.

Key Components

Immediate actions required:

• Rescinding all DEI initiatives within the FAA
• Implementing strictly merit-based hiring practices
• Reviewing performance standards of current employees in critical safety positions
• Replacing individuals deemed not meeting performance standards

The order claims that the previous administration’s DEI policies:

• Compromised aviation safety by prioritizing diversity over competency
• Created discriminatory hiring practices
• Potentially excluded qualified candidates based on lack of specific demographic characteristics

The order will significantly impact the FAA’s current workforce management system, affecting:

• Hiring procedures for over 45,000 daily flights
• Management of safety oversight for approximately 2.9 million airline passengers daily

The order presents potential legal challenges as it:

• May conflict with existing federal employment laws
• Could face scrutiny regarding compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity regulations
• Raises questions about the definition and measurement of “merit-based” criteria

Implementation challenges:

• The immediate nature of the required changes could create operational disruptions
• The review of current employees’ performance could lead to staffing instability
• The order lacks specific metrics for determining “requisite capability”

The order’s broad mandate for performance review could potentially:

• Create uncertainty in current FAA operations
• Lead to staffing shortages if multiple positions need to be replaced
• Impact morale among current FAA employees

REFERENCES

• 2025-03-09: The FAA’s Troubles Are More Serious Than You Know - The Atlantic — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) faces significant challenges, including workforce reductions and potential interference from Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The agency is experiencing depleted staff and low morale following a deadly air disaster, early retirement offers, and the introduction of SpaceX’s Starlink technology into its communications network.
• 2025-03-11: Restrictions Ordered for Helicopters Near Reagan Airport After Plane Crash | The New York Times — The Federal Aviation Administration will implement permanent restrictions on helicopter traffic near Reagan National Airport following a deadly January 29 collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced these changes based on NTSB recommendations after data revealed thousands of instances of close proximity between aircraft and helicopters in the area, with monthly emergency alerts to pilots to avoid collisions.
• 2025-02-25: Southwest 737 Aborts Chicago Landing As Business Jet Crosses Runway | Aviation Week Network — A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 prevented a potential collision at Chicago Midway Airport on February 25, 2025, by executing a go-around when a Flexjet Bombardier Challenger 350 crossed the runway without authorization. The incident occurred around 8:50 a.m. local time when the Southwest flight from Omaha was about to land on Runway 31 Center, but instead accelerated and climbed over the business jet, landing safely about 10 minutes later.
• 2025-02-24: Delta Flight Makes Emergency Landing After ‘Possible Smoke,’ F.A.A. Says — Delta Flight 876 made an emergency landing in Atlanta after crew reported “possible smoke” in the flight deck, leading to an evacuation of 94 passengers and 5 crew members via emergency slides. Two passengers required medical attention after the incident, which occurred shortly after the Boeing 717 departed for Columbia, South Carolina.
• 2025-01-29: A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter — This happened while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time. PSA was operating as Flight 5342 for American Airlines. It departed from Wichita, Kansas. The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation.
• 2024-12-12: Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor | AP News — The article reports that Mike Whitaker, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, announced his resignation effective January 20, 2025, allowing President-elect Donald Trump to appoint his successor. Whitaker, who had led tougher enforcement against Boeing following a door panel blowout incident in January, had served since October 2023 but is stepping down before completing his five-year term.