Trump fires hundreds of FAA staffers as part of SpaceX air traffic control overhaul



The Trump administration has begun laying off hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees responsible for maintaining and managing air traffic control infrastructure, CNN reports.

Trump fires hundreds of air traffic support staff as SpaceX visits FAA command center | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/17/trump-fires-hundreds-of-air-traffic-support-staff-as-spacex-visits-faa-command-center/



A SpaceX team is being brought in to overhaul FAA's air traffic control system | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/news/614078/faa-air-traffic-control-spacex-elon-musk-layoff-staff-shortage

In January 2025, a passenger plane collided with a US military helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing more than 30 people. It was revealed that the air traffic controller in charge of the helicopter and passenger plane at the time of the accident was doing the work of two people by himself .

Immediately after the incident, Elon Musk said, 'With President Trump's support, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will work to rapidly improve the safety of the air traffic control system. Just a few days ago, the FAA's primary aircraft safety notification system failed for several hours,' promising to review the FAA's air traffic control system.




On February 17, 2025, Sean Duffy , the 20th Secretary of Transportation under the Trump Administration, said, 'American citizens have a right to safe, state-of-the-art air travel. That's why President Trump has tasked me with building a new, world-class air traffic control system that will be the envy of the world. To do this, I need input from the best people in America. I am seeking the help of American high-tech developers and companies willing to contribute to our country. Elon Musk's SpaceX will visit the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia to examine the current system firsthand, learn what air traffic controllers like and don't like about the existing tools, and consider how to build a new, better, modern and safer system. I know the media (and Hillary Clinton) will claim that Elon's team has special access, so let me be clear that the FAA regularly offers tours of its command center to both media and companies. Later this week, I'll be visiting the FAA Academy in Oklahoma to meet with air traffic controller instructors and students to learn more about their education and how we can ensure that only the best fly our aircraft. The Department of Transportation welcomes any patriotic developers or companies who want to help our country in this amazing, groundbreaking mission. We look forward to hearing from companies that are committed to ushering in a golden age of American travel,' he said, revealing that the FAA is working on rebuilding its air traffic control system.




According to a CNN report, the FAA, which is responsible for maintaining the safety of air transport in the United States, has begun laying off hundreds of employees. The exact number of workers who will be laid off has not yet been made public, but the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS ) union explained that those who were laid off were probationary workers, i.e. new recruits. The United States has been short of air traffic controllers for decades, but the people who were laid off are not air traffic controllers.

According to PASS President David Spero, the workers received an email informing them of their dismissal late at night on February 14, 2025. Spero said the sudden dismissals were 'without cause and were not based on performance or conduct.' He also said the dismissal email was sent from a Microsoft email address, not a government email address. According to the Associated Press report, the dismissals include staff employed to maintain radar, landing gear and navigational aids.

Garren Munro, vice president of public affairs for the National Air Traffic Control Association ( NATCA ), told tech media outlet TechCrunch that the laid-off employees included aircraft certification specialists, aviation technical systems specialists, engineers, architects and staff from the flight procedures team.

'NATCA will analyze the impact of these layoffs on aviation safety and the national airspace system,' NATCA President Nick Daniels said in a statement. 'For those who chose to serve in aviation safety and public service, it is heartbreaking to see their careers cut so short.'

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