They don’t hire based on on race and lower the bar to accommodate. You straight up don’t understand how DEI works.
It’s not all about controllers. It’s a whole system with lots of roles needed to function at the unbelievably safe levels we have achieved in the US over the past three decades.
We’ve achieved a level of safety almost nobody thought would ever be possible. Now you want to randomly experiment with that success, which, by the way, also supports an industry that is key to our economy and upon which our government relies for revenues. If airlines lose the trust of the typical traveller, you could practically kill an industry and all the tax revenue that follows including multiplier effect. You’ll never see another balanced budget even if you abolish the FAA entirely.
DOGE: please stop guessing and do some actual analysis and planning!
UH OH … Southwest is conducting its first layoffs ever:
MSN?
How DARE them … this is illegal … their jobs are guaranteed forever and ONLY Congress should be able to make cuts to the SWA workforce …
I got this idea from some of the above respondents.
How does it feel to know your argument is so weak you have to strawman?
I have dealt with the regulatory/enforcement/service end of gov’t aviation in 3 countries for more than a half century. I have almost always been treated professionally and very well by air traffic and flight services personnel. I can only recall 2 times when I found them lacking so not worth relating. The regulatory, enforcement, certification and accident investigation entities, however, I have a thousand bones to pick with.
Let me qualify that I don’t have very much faith in how and who is trying to shake things up - mostly because I think those who have been in power for decades inside the beltway are in no way qualified or experienced to be in a position of power. If we look at the two key individuals in question of this thread, worth noting that neither have much experience at all in running productive business using the own resources. They are both products of the world of finance, not business. Oh: Muskie does indeed own several successful businesses, but when you are riding on billions of Wall Street dollars you can hire whatever skills and resources you need to make something or make something happen.
So, how does this impact the US FAA? The vast majority I expect has figured out that there is trouble in paradise. Can/USA once were the absolute wellspring of genav and commercial aviation technology and industry. Yes, the safety record for commercial aviation in the USA has become the benchmark for the world, and the FAA has indeed played its part. One factor so often overlooked, though, is Can/USA pilots and controllers who make this work day in, day out come from a meritocracy - IMHO one of the largest factors in aviation safety. When you get out past the NA/EU sphere aviation is anchored in cultures of privilege so the best of intentions may not be able to be effectively delivered. Thus why “affirmative action”, “inclusiveness” and “DEI” that bestow privelge above merit are a total disaster.
Let’s get on to the industry side: I have been working off and on with those who would dearly like to make airplanes and components In Canada, USA and UK. The problem is that the regulatory, administrative and especially certification functions are so oppressive that it is economically impossible to bring back to genav the costs needed to be able to take the fantastic technology of today into affordable products. So: why not just pay the price? Simply because the countries that are gobbling up the capacity to produce don’t have that yoke around their neck - they just copy whatever they see from our end of the table and get on with production. Dislike the Trump/Musk coalition all you want - because they truly are arrogant and somewhat ignorant bullies - but they also represent the only efforts to fix the problems we have instead of just throwing more of our grandchildren’s debt at the wall to see what sticks.
What you say here is sooo correct. And as you said, totally unrecognized by all when considering ATC. “in a system that is much more than just air traffic controllers. It’s such a complicated and complex system that 99% on the outside just don’t realize the workings of it all”. Th inner workings of how it all functions is totally amazing. It’s certainly not one controller just batting them apart in his/her airspace. It’s not one controller saying cleared for takeoff or to land. The many so sophisticated procedures and strategies that that airplane will proceed through before destination are so unseen by anyone except the controllers. They have evolved through years of planning and designing, and constantly evolve as needed for changing conditions. Before I became a controller for 38 years, center, west coast, ORD, and others, I had absolutely no idea. And I was a pilot already. I really don’t think Musk’s goon squad has any idea what they are going to fix better. Yeah…right.
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Well stated Roger, well stated. People seem to forget that the FAA is way more than just ATC. You and I both know ATC is just about 2% of what the FAA does.
Hey there Rtrd. Absolutely do!!! Rog
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The Great Disrupter-in-Chief is achieving what was predicted - losing good people.
As happens every time Congress does its Stoopid delay in approving budget.
Some will go on to help FAA from outside, such as being DERs working as consultants or companies.
Meanwhile people who should be fired hang on.
The misinformed and incapable of understanding don’t want to talk about the blatant reverse discrimination that has been in afterburner for the last four years and started long before that. Delta Airlines and the Air Traffic control portion of the FAA have been engaged in reverse discrimination for years and have been self confessing via their public statements of their commitment to DEI. DEI has no place in Air Traffic Control and pilot hiring. The FAA blatantly discriminated against MANY VERY qualified candidates for air traffic controllers in favor of DEI hires. Now they are hopelessly short of controllers and getting further behind in the last four years. Many well qualified candidates rejected in favor of DEI are suing the FAA and they will win. Many other qualified candidates will never work for the FAA.
Why should any company layoff employees in our new Golden Age? Government? We are used to DMV-style service. Now they have another excuse.
The “never fire anybody” routine just does not work. The fact that a “veteran employee with years or decades of experience who (was) in a high ranking position” is fired most often means that this person has reached his or her level of incompetence and is now waiting for retirement - contributing next to nothing. There will be no detriment to safety by getting rid of someone like that.
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. . . is fired most often means that this person has reached his or her level of incompetence
Also known as The Peter Principal: Why Things Always Go Wrong. As true today as it was 56 fears ago.
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