The Trump Administration has begun firing some Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees.
The move comes barely a month after a fatal plane crash in Washington.
"It is shameful to toss aside dedicated public servants who have chosen to work on behalf of their fellow Americans," said David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union. "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."
Sen. Maria Cantwell said in a statement: “Now is not the time to fire technicians who fix and operate more than 74,000 safety-critical pieces of equipment like radars, navigational aids and communications technology. The FAA is already short 800 technicians and these firings inject unnecessary risk into the airspace — in aftermath of four deadly crashes in the last month. The FAA’s safety workforce needs to be a priority for this Administration.”
The employees were fired "without cause nor based on performance or conduct," Spero said.
Elon Musk of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency did not immediately respond to the Associated Press’ request for comment.
Musk is not a fan favorite with the FAA.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X that a team from Musk's SpaceX will visit the FAA's command center in Virginia.
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