Posts
In what the Trump administration is calling a long-overdue reversal of Biden-era nonsense, the FAA just dropped a hammer on commercial airlines: starting now, they have to commit to straight-up merit-based hiring for pilots or risk a federal investigation. No more D.E.I. hires whose greatest asset is their skin color and/or gender.
The mandate rolled out in the form of a new mandatory Operations Specification, cleverly dubbed OpSpec A134. For Part 121 carriers (that's your major airlines), it means certifying that pilot hiring is based exclusively on merit, things like real experience, technical aptitude, and the actual qualifications that keep planes in the sky safely. The clock starts ticking 30 days from February 13.
What a concept!
"While the FAA has raised performance standards, dismantled DEI offices and contracts, and revised absurd Biden-Buttigieg era directives that wasted time renaming cockpits to flight decks, allegations of airlines hiring based on race and sex remain," the FAA said. "Under this new mandate, all U.S. carriers will be required to certify that this practice is terminated. Failure to do so will subject airlines to federal investigation."
This move fits perfectly with President Trump's push to gut diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the federal government. The current DOT leadership has been hammering home the point that the previous administration blew billions on feel-good diversity initiatives that delivered zilch, all while critical infrastructure like the air traffic control system rotted.
"When families board their aircraft, they should fly with confidence knowing the pilot behind the controls is the best of the best," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. "The American people don’t care what their pilot looks like or their gender, they just care that they are the most qualified man or woman for the job."
Look, some airlines have rolled out recruitment programs and training pipelines targeting women and minority pilots in an industry that's still overwhelmingly male and white. But let's be clear: there's zero evidence anyone's been waving safety requirements to hit quotas, and the FAA hasn't exactly flooded the zone with specifics on those "allegations" it's citing.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the biggest pilots' union in the country, fired back quickly. Officials stressed that every one of their members flying Part 121 ops has to meet the exact same rigorous training, testing, and qualification standards and no exceptions.
"All ALPA pilots are trained and evaluated to the same uncompromising standard regardless of race, gender, or background," said president Jason Ambrosi. "A pilot's identity has no bearing on their ability to safely operate an aircraft. What matters is training, experience, and qualification, and on that front, there are no shortcuts and no compromises."
"While the FAA has raised performance standards, dismantled DEI offices and contracts, and revised absurd Biden-Buttigieg era directives that wasted time renaming cockpits to flight decks, allegations of airlines hiring based on race and sex remain," the FAA said. "Under this new mandate, all U.S. carriers will be required to certify that this practice is terminated. Failure to do so will subject airlines to federal investigation."
This move fits perfectly with President Trump's push to gut diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the federal government. The current DOT leadership has been hammering home the point that the previous administration blew billions on feel-good diversity initiatives that delivered zilch, all while critical infrastructure like the air traffic control system rotted.
"When families board their aircraft, they should fly with confidence knowing the pilot behind the controls is the best of the best," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. "The American people don’t care what their pilot looks like or their gender, they just care that they are the most qualified man or woman for the job."
Look, some airlines have rolled out recruitment programs and training pipelines targeting women and minority pilots in an industry that's still overwhelmingly male and white. But let's be clear: there's zero evidence anyone's been waving safety requirements to hit quotas, and the FAA hasn't exactly flooded the zone with specifics on those "allegations" it's citing.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the biggest pilots' union in the country, fired back quickly. Officials stressed that every one of their members flying Part 121 ops has to meet the exact same rigorous training, testing, and qualification standards and no exceptions.
"All ALPA pilots are trained and evaluated to the same uncompromising standard regardless of race, gender, or background," said president Jason Ambrosi. "A pilot's identity has no bearing on their ability to safely operate an aircraft. What matters is training, experience, and qualification, and on that front, there are no shortcuts and no compromises."
If you enjoy Brain Flushings and would like to subscribe or Buy Me a Coffee, or even check out the sponsors on this page, I would appreciate it, as it supports my work and my coffee drinking habit. No pressure and subscribing is free. So is checking out the advertisers on the blog.
Bottom line: the administration is making it official that safety trumps everything else, and if you're an airline, you'd better get on board with merit-only hiring fast.
Tweet
Bottom line: the administration is making it official that safety trumps everything else, and if you're an airline, you'd better get on board with merit-only hiring fast.
No comments:
Post a Comment