The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) union is reporting that “hundreds” of FAA employees have been fired in the wake of action from the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The list includes primarily probationary workers who have been in their positions for less than a year. The union claims that is because probationary employees are less protected than their more experienced colleagues.
In a BBC news article, PASS leader Alex Spero called the dismissals “shameful” adding that the job cuts “will increase the workload and place new responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin.” Affected employees include systems specialists, safety inspectors, maintenance mechanics, administrative staff, and more, Spero said.
Further criticizing the action, Spero pointed out that the FAA is, “already challenged by understaffing”, and that the decision to cut staff was “unconscionable in the aftermath of three deadly aircraft accidents in the past month.”
