Trump administration fires hundreds of FAA employees as massive layoffs continue

The Trump administration fired hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees over the weekend, as part of its massive federal layoff of probationary workers.

The Office of Personnel Management last week directed federal agencies to begin firing its employees who are still in their probationary period, despite having been employed for a year or more. 

The FAA firings come on the heels of a major aviation tragedy, where 67 people died after an American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter, killing everyone on board. Another aviation incident occurred Monday when a Delta Airlines plane crashed in Toronto.

The FAA has not stated how many people were laid off or their positions, but a union representing the employees, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, said nearly 300 of its members received termination notices.

“This decision did not consider the staffing needs of the FAA, which is already challenged by understaffing," David Spero, the national president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists said in a statement. “Staffing decisions should be based on an individual agency’s mission-critical needs. To do otherwise is dangerous when it comes to public safety. And it is especially unconscionable in the aftermath of three deadly aircraft accidents in the past month.”

The union said those who received the notices included maintenance mechanics, aeronautical information specialists, environmental protection specialists, aviation safety assistants and management and program assistants, per NBC News.

The firings also come despite the FAA's warning in recent years that it was already understaffed. 

The move comes as the federal government works to restructure itself, including by reducing the federal workforce.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.