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Tag: FAA

Trump administration firing hundreds of FAA workers

Boyd Group International President and aviation expert Mike Boyd argues that there is a ‘major problem’ in the aviation industry on ‘Mornings with Maria.’

Hundreds of workers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been laid off despite rising concerns about understaffing, as the Trump administration seeks to rein in federal spending.

David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, said in a statement that several hundred probationary employees were notified Friday evening by messages from an “exec order” Microsoft email address, not an official government email address. The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists is the union that represents the employees.

“Troubled” by the decision, Spero expected more employees to be notified over the weekend and believes it’s possible that some may even be “barred from entering FAA buildings,” on Tuesday.

RECOVERY EFFORTS UNDERWAY AFTER AMERICAN AIRLINES JET, MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDE MIDAIR NEAR DC

“These are not nameless, faceless bureaucrats. They are our family, friends and neighbors. They contribute to our communities. Many military veterans are among them. It is shameful to toss aside dedicated public servants who have chosen to work on behalf of their fellow Americans,” he added.

The control tower at the Reagan National Airport. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the aviation safety organization in the U.S. that represents nearly 20,000 workers, said in a statement Monday that it was “analyzing the effect of the reported federal employee terminations on aviation safety, the national airspace system and our members,” according to The Associated Press.

FOX Business reached out to the Trump administration for comment.

Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander posted on LinkedIn that he was among those who were fired, The Associated Press reported.

“My unlawful termination from my national security critical position with the National Defense Programs of the FAA – less than a week after DOGE got upset that I criticized Tesla and Twitter on my personal Facebook page – and on my personal time,” Spitzer-Stadtlander posted on the platform.

An air traffic control tower at Miami International Airport in Miami on May 9, 2024. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)

He said that “the mass firings of hardworking Federal workers are unlawful” and that “retaliatory firings of national security critical workers and FAA air traffic control specialists are dangerous. We must make our voices heard. This is not okay.”

The firings come amid calls to ramp up staffing in the air traffic control system and weeks after a U.S. Army Black Hawk collided with an American Airlines regional jet on Jan. 29 in what was the deadliest U.S. air disaster in more than 20 years. Both aircraft fell into the Potomac River after the collision. Sixty-seven people were killed.

TRUMP FIRES 17 GOVERNMENT WATCHDOGS AT VARIOUS FEDERAL AGENCIES

The sun flares next to the sign marking the location of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) headquarters on Feb. 9, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (J. David Ake/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association acknowledged the “chronic understaffing” of the air traffic control system earlier this month, saying that focusing on this issue as well as “modernizing the nation’s air traffic control infrastructure, would better serve the safety and reliability of the aviation system.”

The Trump administration already fired the head of the Transportation Security Administration and gutted the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, which advised on aviation security matters, including the development, refinement and implementation of policies, programs, rulemaking and security directives pertaining to aviation security.

The group was established in 1989 after a terrorist attack on Pan Am Flight 103.

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Shortly after his re-election, Trump also ordered the Transportation secretary and FAA administrator to immediately stop Biden-era diversity hiring programs and return to non-discriminatory, merit-based hiring.

February 17, 2025
FAA weighs permanent helicopter restrictions around Washington-area airport

FOX Business’ Grady Trimble speaks with National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman about the ongoing investigation to determine the cause of the D.C. plane crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is weighing plans to restrict helicopters from using the airspace around the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to ensure a deadly U.S. aviation accident like last month’s doesn’t happen again.

Senior FAA officials are considering a permanent restriction to keep helicopters away from commercial aircraft landing or taking off from the airport, sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.

It’s part of a long-term safety plan around the airport after a U.S. Army Black Hawk collided with an American Airlines regional jet Jan. 29 in what was the deadliest U.S. air disaster in more than 20 years. Both aircraft fell into the Potomac River after the collision. Sixty-seven people were killed.

RECOVERY EFFORTS UNDERWAY AFTER AMERICAN AIRLINES JET, MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDE MIDAIR NEAR DC

FOX Business reached out to the FAA for comment.

Days after the incident, the FAA, directed by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, restricted helicopter traffic in the area over the Potomac River around Washington National Airport and stretching to the Wilson Bridge.

The FAA said these restrictions will remain in place until the National Transportation Safety Board completes its preliminary investigation of the incident, which is expected to happen in the coming weeks.

If police, medical or presidential transportation helicopters need to use the airspace, civilian planes are not allowed to be in the same area, according to an FAA advisory.

The NTSB will be closely evaluating evidence like cockpit communications, unique sound recordings, aileron positions, landing gear, altitude pitch, submerged electronics and debris and interviewing staff working with both aircraft.

EXPERT PUTS ONUS ON FAA FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES, HELICOPTER CRASH: ‘BAD MANAGEMENT’ IS ‘PUTTING US AT RISK’

Emergency personnel and divers work at the site of the crash after American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River outside Washington, D.C., Jan. (Reuters/Carlos Barria / Reuters)

Duffy said in a statement earlier this month he is specifically going to look into the operations at the air traffic control tower.

“Before this crash took place, you had a consolidation of two air traffic controller positions. One was for helicopters. One was for aircraft, for airplanes. Those positions were consolidated into one before this crash took place,” Duffy said.

“So, we’re going to look, I’m going to look at the policies and procedures inside the tower, why that happened. How did they get the authority? And we’re going to pull back that authority to make sure that we have the right policies in place inside our towers to make sure that when you fly, you’re safe.”

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A U.S. flag flies as search and rescue teams work in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle Flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River in Arlington, Va., Jan. 30, 2025. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters / Reuters)

Duffy has also criticized the operation of helicopters near the airport, saying, “We have to take a real look at the safety around this airspace and the airspace around the country. And, again, we can fly training missions at a different time of night.

“If we have generals who are flying in helicopters for convenience through this airspace, that’s unacceptable. Get in a damn Suburban and drive. You don’t need to take a helicopter.”

February 13, 2025
Google Maps, FAA officially acknowledges Gulf of America after Trump declaration: ‘Isn’t it beautiful?’

The name change from the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” began rolling out across the U.S. on Monday, just a month after President Donald Trump announced his intention to Americanize the name.

On Monday, the FAA sent out a charting notice confirming that its systems were in the process of updating the name, in addition to updating the newly-named Mount McKinley in Alaska, formerly known as Denali.

“Please be advised that the FAA is in the process of updating our data and charts to show a name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and a name change from Denali to Mount McKinley. This will be targeted for the next publication cycle,” the notice read.

“This Charting Notice implements President Trump’s direction in Executive Order 14172, ‘Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness,’ that the names be changed.”

TRUMP ANNOUNCES $20 BILLION IN NEW DATA CENTERS IN POST-CERTIFICATION ADDRESS

Google Maps has begun referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. (AP/Google Maps)

On Jan. 7, Trump announced that the Gulf of Mexico would be given a new name, and signed an executive order finalizing the decision weeks later.

“We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring. That covers a lot of territory,” Trump said on Tuesday. “The Gulf of America. What a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate.”

The decision was received well by social media users on Monday, who began noticing Google Maps implementing the changes.

“Google Maps FINALLY recognizes the Gulf of America!” one X user wrote. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

“I hate google, but tbh, mine says Gulf of America zoomed all the way out,” another said. “And boy is it glorious.”

TRUMP ANNOUNCES $20 BILLION IN NEW DATA CENTERS IN POST-CERTIFICATION ADDRESS

On his way to Super Bowl LIX, President Trump signed an order declaring Feb. 9 as “Gulf of America Day.” (Daniel Torok/Chief White House Photographer)

“Google Maps bows to Trump,” a different commentator wrote.

The changes also come after Trump signed a proclamation on Sunday that declared Feb. 9 as “Gulf of America Day.”

Trump was flying over the body of water on his way to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans when he signed the presidential order.

“Air Force One is currently in international waters, the first time in history flying over the recently renamed Gulf of America,” the White House wrote in an X post.

In the proclamation, Trump wrote that he took the action “in part because, as stated in that Order, ‘[t]he area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America.’”

President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he walks to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland last week. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

Google previously confirmed that it intended on updating the gulf’s name in accordance with local authorities.

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“We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps,” Google said in an X post. “We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources…everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too.”

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to [email protected].

February 11, 2025
FAA to slow arrivals at DCA to reduce risks after crash
FAA-licensed commercial pilot Anthony Roman provides professional analysis of the Washington D.C. plane crash on ‘Varney & Co.’
- The Federal Aviation Administration plans to reduce flight arrivals at Washington Reagan National Airport to address safety concerns after a deadly collision between a military helicopter and a passenger jet, according to an email seen by Reuters.
- The FAA told airlines late Wednesday that the reduction from a maximum rate of 28 to 26 arrivals per hour would reduce risk but also increase average delays from 40 minutes to 50 minutes.
- The NTSB and FAA are briefing members of the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday on the investigation into the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to announce it is reducing flight arrivals at Washington Reagan National Airport to address safety concerns after a deadly collision between a helicopter and an American Airlines AAL.O regional jet killed 67 people, according to an email seen by Reuters.

The FAA told airlines late Wednesday that the reduction from a maximum rate of 28 to 26 arrivals per hour would reduce risk but also increase average delays from 40 minutes to 50 minutes. The email said investigators from the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board “have expressed concern for our tower personnel on duty, who have an increased level of stress while also having a front row view of the accident recovery.”

EXPERT PUTS ONUS ON FAA FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES, HELICOPTER CRASH: ‘BAD MANAGEMENT’ IS ‘PUTTING US AT RISK’

The email added that reducing the rate from 28 to 26 “will reduce risk and allow a little space for extra coordination.” It is unclear if the reduction will force airlines to cancel some flights.

The NTSB and FAA are briefing members of the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday on the investigation. An FAA spokesperson did not immediately comment on how long the restrictions would be in place, but noted it is slowing traffic into and out of Reagan due to weather conditions and recovery efforts in the area.

A plane flies overhead as people attend a candlelight vigil for the victims of the collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in (Reuters/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo / Reuters)

In the aftermath of the crash, the FAA has imposed significant restrictions on helicopter flights around Reagan National until at least late February and two of the lesser-used runways remain closed. When police, medical or presidential transportation helicopters must use the airspace, civilian planes are not allowed to be in the same area, according to an FAA advisory.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday he is reconsidering rules that allowed air traffic control supervisors to reduce staffing before the fatal collision.

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Duffy noted that before the crash, two air traffic control positions were consolidated for helicopters and aircraft.

“We’re going to pull that authority back to make sure that we have the right policies in place inside our towers to make sure when you fly you’re safe,” Duffy said.

Duffy also plans to announce in the coming days steps to surge more air traffic control training and applicants. The FAA is about 3,000 controllers short of staffing levels and nearly all control towers have staffing issues.
February 6, 2025
Transportation Sec Sean Duffy says FAA systems are ‘antiquated,’ calls for more air traffic controllers

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says that many of the Federal Aviation Administration’s systems remain “antiquated” and are in need of updates amid a “plummet” in recruitment for air traffic controllers.

Duffy made the statement during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream. The Trump administration official affirmed that America’s skies remain the safest in the world, but he also said major changes could be made to improve the FAA’s systems.

“We have the safest skies in the whole world. Traveling by air is the safest mode of transportation,” Duffy said. “It’s not just air traffic controllers, but we do have technologies on airplanes to keep them separated. So, yeah, no, this is the safest system.”

Duffy went on to say that the U.S. system “does need to be upgraded.” He also noted an outage of the FAA’s pilot warning system, the “Notice to Air Mission” or NOTAM system, on Saturday night, calling it “antiquated.”

VICTIMS IDENTIFIED IN DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES JET AND MILITARY HELICOPTER

Secretary of U.S. Department of Transportation Sean Duffy addresses the media, after American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)

The FAA imposes a mandatory retirement age of 55 for air traffic controllers, causing a large amount of turnover. Duffy noted that the FAA’s training academy was bottlenecked during COVID-19, causing small class sizes and delaying the process as trainees could not get in-person experience at control towers.

HARROWING VIDEO FROM MILITARY BASE SHOWS NEW ANGLE OF MIDAIR CRASH CATASTROPHE

He said he is focusing on training a new generation of recruits.

“You can’t focus on diversity, equity and inclusion when you try to hire air traffic controllers, you focus on the best and brightest,” Duffy told Bream. “I mean, again, some people like me like to have this conversation around equity. But if it’s your pilots or if it’s your air traffic controllers, you want the best. You want the brightest protecting yourself and your family. That’s what we’re going to do with the department.”

First responders work the scene after what witnesses say was a plane crash in Philadelphia on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (Matt Rourke/AP)

Duffy’s statements come after two aviation disasters struck the U.S., including the collision of a military Blackhawk helicopter with an American Airlines jet in Washington, D.C., last week. A private plane also plummeted out of the sky in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Investigations are ongoing for both crashes. Duffy said he is particularly interested in the communications that the control tower at Reagan National Airport had with both the jet and the helicopter in last week’s crash.

Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, early Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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“What happened in the tower? What was going on with the staffing? What should have been done and what was done? What was the language that was used by the air traffic controller? Was it appropriate? Did they appropriately direct traffic consistent with procedures at the FAA?” Duffy asked.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

February 2, 2025
Trump orders assessment of aviation safety, names acting FAA administrator

American Airlines fuselage in the Potomac

A crew retrieves wreckage of American Airlines Flight 5342, which was involved in a collision with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed two executive orders appointing a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) deputy administrator and ordering an immediate assessment of aviation safety.

The orders came after an American Airlines plane carrying 64 people and an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers crashed in midair at about 9 p.m. Wednesday.

The aircraft plummeted into the frigid Potomac River near Reagan National Airport, leaving 67 people presumed dead.

In the Oval Office Thursday, Trump signed an order appointing Chris Rocheleau acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

VICTIMS IDENTIFIED IN DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES JET AND MILITARY HELICOPTER

Search and rescue efforts at a wreckage site in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport early Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo)

Rocheleau most recently served as National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) CEO and held multiple leadership roles at the FAA during his more than 20-year tenure, including director of the office of emergency operations and investigations.

Emergency responders assess airplane wreckage in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The NBAA wrote in a statement it “welcomed” the announcement.

“Chris is an outstanding leader who will be good for the FAA, good for aviation and good for the country, especially at this challenging time,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “He has demonstrated excellence at every level in the government, military and aviation industry.”

DC PLANE CRASH TIMELINE: MIDAIR COLLISION INVOLVES 67 PASSENGERS, CREW MEMBERS, SOLDIERS

Trump called Rocheleau a “very capable guy” while signing the order.

A second executive order ordered an immediate assessment of aviation safety and an elevation of “competence” over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

A crew retrieves wreckage of American Airlines Flight 5342 in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., Jan. 30, 2025. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

While signing the order, he said former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama’s DEI policies were “just crazy.”

The memorandum says the Obama administration introduced a biographical questionnaire at the FAA to shift the hiring focus away from objective aptitude, and the Biden administration later encouraged the recruitment of people with “severe intellectual disabilities.”

“During my first term, my Administration raised standards to achieve the highest standards of safety and excellence,” Trump wrote in the memo. “The Biden Administration egregiously rejected merit-based hiring, requiring all executive departments and agencies to implement dangerous ‘diversity equity and inclusion’ tactics, and specifically recruiting individuals with ‘severe intellectual’ disabilities in the FAA.”

A plane flies near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after a collision of American Eagle Flight 5342 and a Black Hawk in Arlington, Va., Jan. 30, 2025. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

While Trump ordered an immediate return to merit-based recruitment, hiring and promotion on his second day in office, he noted the recent plane crash “underscores the need to elevate safety and competence as the priority of the FAA.”

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Trump said Thursday the collision was a “confluence of bad decisions that were made, and you have people that lost their lives, violently lost their lives.”

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this story.

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.

January 31, 2025
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump Blasts DEI at the FAA

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

-Trump says Reagan National Airport crash could have been prevented: ‘CLEAR NIGHT’

-Anti-Trump FBI agent responsible for opening Jack Smith elector case against president: Whistleblower

–Patel flips script on Durbin with Biden reference after being pressed on J6 pardons: ‘Brutal reality check’

Held to the ‘Highest Standards’

President Donald Trump set his sights on DEI standards at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday after a deadly in-air collision at the nation’s capital.

Trump, speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room, highlighted efforts by the Biden administration to lower aviation standards, though he acknowledged that the cause of Wednesday night’s crash has yet to be determined.

“We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system,” Trump said. “Only the highest aptitude — you have to be the highest intellect — and psychologically superior people, were allowed to qualify for air traffic controllers.”…Read more

Emergency response units search the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed last night on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. The American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided in midair with a military helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. According to reports there were no survivors among the 67 people on board both aircraft. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

World Stage

KICKED OUT: Israel orders UNRWA to cease operations in country over terror ties: ‘miserably failed in its mandate’…Read more

EMOTIONAL RETURN: Moment IDF soldier is reunited with family seen on video…Read more

Arbel Yehoud’s family hug her upon her release from Gaza on Thursday. (IDF)

FINALLY FREE: Third round of hostage releases begins as part of Hamas’ Gaza ceasefire agreement with Israel…Read more

HELD UP: Netanyahu furious about chaotic handover of Israeli hostages from Hamas…Read more

Capitol Hill

MAKING THE CASE: Internal House GOP memo outlines case for Trump to buy Panama Canal…Read more

BACK FOR MORE: Trump HHS nominee RFK Jr returns to Capitol Hill for round 2 after heated first day of hearings…Read more

TULSI HITS TURBULENCE: Tension builds around Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation with key GOP Senators undecided…Read more

‘FAKE CHRISTIAN’: First-term House Dem attacks WH press secretary Karoline Leavitt as ‘Fake Christian’…Read more

CLOCK IS TICKING: Bipartisan senators target fentanyl classification as lapse approaches…Read more

‘LIES AND SMEARS’: Tulsi Gabbard rails against Dem narrative she’s Trump’s and Putin’s ‘puppet’…Read more

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s choice to be the Director of National Intelligence, arrives to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee for her confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

‘CORRUPT’: Graham grills FBI nominee Patel over ‘disgusting’ and ‘corrupt’ Crossfire Hurricane probe…Read more

‘VERY TROUBLING’: Top Senate Intelligence Dem grills Gabbard if Edward Snowden is ‘brave’: ‘very troubling’…Read more

DH-YES: Senate confirms Kristi Noem as Trump’s Department of Homeland Security secretary…Read more

‘COUNT ON THAT’: Senate set for confirmation vote on Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department…Read more

FREEZING FUNDS: Risch proposes bill to block US foreign aid from funding abortions…Read more

HAT IN THE RING: Former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers considering GOP Senate run…Read more

CLOSING THE CABINET: Where Trump’s Cabinet nominees stand in Senate confirmation process…Read more

FBI Director nominee Kash Patel, left, HHS nominee RFK Jr, and Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard (Getty)

‘GROTESQUE’: Patel hammers ‘grotesque mischaracterizations’ from Dems amid fiery FBI confirmation hearing…Read more

IN THE HOT SEAT: Gabbard sheds light on Assad visit, expresses shock intelligence community showed no interest at the time…Read more

Across America

‘UNPRECEDENTED’ SITUATION: Los Angeles fire cleanup complicated by ‘unprecedented’ number of EVs with combustible lithium-ion batteries…Read more

CRASH TIMELINE: DC plane crash timeline: Midair collision involves 67 passengers, crew members, soldiers…Read more

‘PERSONAL ATTACKS’: Anti-Israel groups spray paint Columbia University building, ‘cemented’ sewage system…Read more

‘INAPPROPRIATE’ RISK: Army sec nominee questions whether military pilots should train near DC airport…Read more

Daniel Driscoll, insert, and military helicopter, background (Pool Screen shot /Getty )

PREVENTED: Gabbard says 9/11 likely could have been prevented if not for intelligence ‘stovepiping’…Read more

‘JUST DEVASTATED’: Miracle on the Hudson’s Capt. Sully reacts to deadly DC aircraft collision…Read more

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

This article was written by Fox News staff.

January 30, 2025
Trump attacks DEI policies after DC plane crash, says FAA employees must be held to ‘highest standards’

President Donald Trump set his sights on DEI standards at the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday after a deadly in-air collision at the nation’s capital.

Trump, speaking to reporters in the White House briefing room, highlighted efforts by the Biden administration to lower aviation standards, though he acknowledged that the cause of Wednesday night’s crash has yet to be determined.

“We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system,” Trump said. “Only the highest aptitude – you have to be the highest intellect – and psychologically superior people, were allowed to qualify for air traffic controllers.”

“We have to have our smartest people. It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. What matters is intellect, talent. The word talent. They have to be talented geniuses,” he continued. “We can’t have regular people doing that job. They won’t be able to do it.”

AMERICAN AIRLINES PLANE, ARMY HELICOPTER COLLIDE OUTSIDE REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT NEAR WASHINGTON DC

President Donald Trump says he signed an executive order last week raising the qualification standards for air traffic controllers. (Jim Watson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump noted that he had raised the qualification standards for air traffic controllers during his first administration, but he said President Joe Biden had lowered them once he left office.

AMERICAN AIRLINES CEO EXPRESSES ‘DEEP SORROW’ AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION

The president reinstated the higher standards last week with an executive order, he said.

“We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas, and I think we’ll probably state those opinions now, because over the years I’ve watched as things like this happen and they say, well, we’re always investigating. And then the investigation, three years later, they announce it,” Trump said, going on to detail an investigation including the FAA, Department of Defense and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Southwest aircraft takes off from Reagan National Airport as flights resume on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. Flights were held following the fatal crash of an American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter last night. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

Trump went on to highlight a series of articles covering the FAA’s “diversity push” that he said occurred prior to him taking office.

“The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency’s website,” he said.

While that language was present on the FAA’s website during the Biden administration, it was also present during Trump’s first administration.

AMERICAN FIGURE SKATING MEMBERS, RUSSIAN OLYMPIANS ABOARD PLANE IN REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT CRASH

When asked for comment on the initiative last year, including what roles people with disabilities would fulfill, the FAA told Fox News Digital that the agency thoroughly seeks and vets qualified candidates “from as many sources as possible” for a range of positions.

Jan. 29 D.C. plane-helicopter collision map.

Later in the press conference, Trump criticized former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as a “disaster.

“He’s just got a good line of bulls–t,” he said of the Democrat.

Reporters then pressed Trump on the facts of the crash, asking whether he had evidence that it was caused by incompetence due to DEI. Trump said the investigation is ongoing, but that “it could have been.”

Buttigieg was quick to strike back on X, calling Trump’s comments “despicable.”

“As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” Buttigieg continued. “We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.”

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Wednesday night’s crash involved and American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. It collided with a military Blackhawk helicopter carrying three service members. Trump confirmed that there were no survivors.

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

January 30, 2025
Expert puts onus on FAA for American Airlines, helicopter crash: ‘Bad management’ is ‘putting us at risk’

Boyd Group International President and aviation expert Mike Boyd discusses the FAA’s role in the plane crash near Reagan National Airport as the investigation transitions into a recovery mission.

As more than 60 people are feared dead following a tragic midair plane collision over Ronald Reagan National Airport, one aviation expert is sending a “wake-up call” to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“It’s our system that is bad and that’s what has to be looked at. To be honest with you… we need to take a bulldozer to the front of the FAA. This is bad management, and it’s putting us at risk,” Boyd Group International President Mike Boyd said in reaction on “Mornings with Maria,” Thursday.

“This is a problem we have with air traffic control. Mr. Duffy has to do something about this,” he continued. “We messed around with air traffic control for 30 years. Now we have deaths in the Potomac because of it. So this is a wake-up call for the new administration, which means, fix the FAA and fix it soon before more people die.”

An American Airlines plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter outside Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday evening. Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter and a massive search and recovery operation is now unfolding in the Potomac River.

AMERICAN AIRLINES C.E.O. SAYS COMPANY IS FOCUSED ON NEEDS OF PASSENGERS, FAMILIES AND CREW AFTER MIDAIR COLLISION

John Donnelly, chief of the District of Columbia Fire Department, said Thursday that “we don’t think there are any survivors from this accident,” adding that at least 27 bodies have been recovered.

A helicopter flies near the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Getty Images)

The Army told Fox News Digital that the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was “from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, out of Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir” and was conducting a “training flight.” They were a “fairly experienced” crew and reportedly had night vision googles aboard the helicopter.

As federal investigators prepare to review communications between the two aircraft, Boyd expanded on how the FAA holds the majority of responsibility for the crash.

“We had two flying machines run into each other over the Potomac. That is the FAA’s job to avoid those things,” he argued. “We have all kinds of human issues here. But the fact is, we’ve had near-miss after near-miss for the past 20 years. Now we’ve had a collision. The collision is the responsibility of the FAA and the air traffic control system. Somebody failed.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy provides details during an update on the midair collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Helicopter.

“There was a major failure here, and that helicopter shouldn’t have been there. The airplane should have, but not the helicopter.”

Newly-appointed U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated in a Thursday morning press conference that both the American Airlines plane and Army helicopter were in a “standard flight pattern” when they collided in midair. Duffy also told reporters: “Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.”

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Aviation expert Captain Mike Coffield breaks down the response process and investigation following a midair collision between a regional airline jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter.

“Something was wrong with the system, and that means people died because of it. Which means Mr. Duffy has to turn around and say, ‘Something was really wrong here. We have to change it and change it right now,’” Boyd said.

“I fear he’s just going to warm that seat like his predecessors did. And I hope I’m real wrong. But he never even mentioned that at his hearings. He never said anything about the dangers in air traffic control or other things. So this is a wake-up call for the Trump administration.”

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Fox News staff contributed to this report.

January 30, 2025