The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has initiated layoffs affecting several hundred employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), just weeks after the fatal accident on January 29 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Employees on probation were notified via email about their dismissal, according to David Spero, president of the Aviation Safety Professionals Union, as reported by AP.
The affected workers are those involved in maintaining radar systems and navigational aids for the FAA, a flight controller told the Journalist Association.
The wreckage of the aircraft in the Potomac River, New York, January 2025.
Spero mentioned that the layoff notices began arriving after 7 p.m. on Friday. Additional workers might be notified over the extended weekend or could be prohibited from entering FAA buildings on Tuesday, he added.
The layoffs come at a time when the FAA is already facing a shortage of air traffic controllers.
Federal officials have been warning for years about the overburdened and understaffed air traffic control system, particularly after a series of near-misses between aircraft at U.S. airports.
Among the reasons for the staffing shortage are uncompetitive pay, long working hours, intensive training, and mandatory retirements.
An American Airlines flight with 64 passengers and crew members was en route from Kansas to Washington when it collided with a Black Hawk military helicopter carrying three people.
Just days before the crash, President Donald Trump dismissed all members of the Aviation Safety Advisory Committee, which is responsible for investigating safety issues related to airlines and airports.
