Trump administration starts firing FAA staff weeks after DC plane crash

The Trump government has started firing several hundred Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, just weeks after a fatal mid-air collision at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

In a statement, David Spero, who is the president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, said that in a late-night email on Friday, the probationary workers were notified that they had been fired.

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"It is shameful to toss aside dedicated public servants who have chosen to work on behalf of their fellow Americans," Spero said.

The union said that the firing has impacted workers including systems specialists, safety inspectors, maintenance mechanics, administrative staff and more.

"These employees were devoted to their jobs and the safety-critical mission of the FAA. This draconian action will increase the workload and place new responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin," he added.

Spero said that the employees were fired "without cause nor based on performance or conduct," and the emails were "from an 'exec order' Microsoft email address" — not a government email address.

Sean Duffy, who is the Transportation Secretary, said Monday in a post on X that "the FAA alone has a staggering 45,000 employees. Less than 400 were let go, and they were all probationary, meaning they had been hired less than a year ago. Zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go."

What happened on January 29?

On January 29, a passenger plane and a US Army helicopter collided near Washington and plunged into the Potomac River. The officials said that salvage crews recovered the bodies of all 67 people killed.

Sixty-four people, including four crew members were on the plane during the tragic incident. While three soldiers were aboard the US Army Black Hawk helicopter. There were no survivors.

President Donald Trump was quick to blame diversity hiring policies for the accident although no evidence has emerged that they were responsible.

Trump also said the helicopter, which was on a routine training mission, appeared to be flying too high.

(With inputs from agencies)