On January 21, President Donald Trump’s administration ordered the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to stop its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and hiring.
Trump’s “Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation” memorandum urges the FAA to prioritize merit-based, non-discriminatory hiring, promotion, and treatment of employees. Per the notice, the FAA is supposed to operate “on the basis of individual capability, competence, achievement, and dedication.”
The current administration has also ordered a performance review of all employees in “critical” aviation safety roles.
“The Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administrator shall review the past performance and performance standards of all individuals in critical safety positions, and take all appropriate action to ensure that any individual who fails or has failed to demonstrate requisite capability is replaced by a high-capability individual that will ensure top-notch air safety and efficiency,” the memorandum noted.
What Else Should I Know About Trump’s Targeting Of DEI Initiatives In The FAA?
The “Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation” memorandum claims that the FAA’s DEI “preferencing policies” under Biden were dangerous. Trump’s decree claimed the former administration hired FAA staff based on criteria like race, sex, and disability, regardless of qualifications.
The memorandum argued that the FAA focusing on DEI in hiring could negatively impact air traveling Americans’ safety. The order claimed DEI initiatives penalize qualified Americans who lack a required disability or skin color to join the FAA.
“Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation” is a DEI ban that aligns with Trump’s promise in his inaugural address to “forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based.” The president — serving his second term — recently fired the head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), David Pekoske. Moreover, under Trump, the Department of Homeland Security has terminated the Aviation Security Advisory Committee‘s memberships and made it essentially defunct.Notably, the latter organization is an advisory committee to the TSA.
In recent months, many companies outside of the government have reportedly rollbacked or dismantled their DEI initiatives — including Boeing.
