FAA Mandates Airlines to Implement Merit-Based Hiring Amid Trump’s DEI Reforms
Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a new directive requiring airlines to certify their merit-based hiring practices. This move is part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs across federal agencies.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy unveiled the policy on Friday, emphasizing that airlines failing to commit to merit-based hiring will face FAA investigations. This directive follows President Donald Trump’s earlier orders to eliminate DEI hiring initiatives shortly after his return to the White House.
“When families board their aircraft, they should fly with confidence knowing the pilot behind the controls is the best of the best. 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,” Duffy stated.
He further added, “Safety drives everything we do, and this commonsense measure will increase transparency between passengers and airlines.”
FEDERAL WATCHDOG URGES WHITE MEN TO REPORT POSSIBLE WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION; VANCE BOOSTS MESSAGE
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announces airlines must certify their merit-based hiring practices. (Reuters/Brian Snyder / Reuters)
Trump’s FAA criticized the previous direction of the agency under former President Joe Biden, labeling those policies as “absurd” and claiming they wasted time on trivial matters like renaming cockpits to flight decks.
In a broader context, Trump has sought to systematically dismantle DEI programs throughout the federal government. He signed two executive orders in his early days in office, directing agencies to identify and eliminate DEI offices, terminate equity-focused grants and contracts, and abolish long-standing affirmative action requirements for federal contractors.
President Donald Trump signed executive orders cracking down on DEI programs. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The president’s focus on DEI at the FAA intensified following a tragic plane crash in Washington, D.C., last year, where a passenger plane collided with a U.S. military helicopter over the Potomac River.
“We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system,” Trump asserted. “Only the highest aptitude — you have to be the highest intellect — and psychologically superior people, are allowed to qualify for air traffic controllers.”
A helicopter flies near the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
“We have to have our smartest people. It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. What matters is intellect, talent. The word ‘talent.’ They have to be talented geniuses,” Trump emphasized. “We can’t have regular people doing that job. They won’t be able to do it.”
Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a new directive requiring airlines to certify their merit-based hiring practices. This move is part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs across federal agencies.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy unveiled the policy on Friday, emphasizing that airlines failing to commit to merit-based hiring will face FAA investigations. This directive follows President Donald Trump’s earlier orders to eliminate DEI hiring initiatives shortly after his return to the White House.
“When families board their aircraft, they should fly with confidence knowing the pilot behind the controls is the best of the best. 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,” Duffy stated.
He further added, “Safety drives everything we do, and this commonsense measure will increase transparency between passengers and airlines.”
FEDERAL WATCHDOG URGES WHITE MEN TO REPORT POSSIBLE WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION; VANCE BOOSTS MESSAGE
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announces airlines must certify their merit-based hiring practices. (Reuters/Brian Snyder / Reuters)
Trump’s FAA criticized the previous direction of the agency under former President Joe Biden, labeling those policies as “absurd” and claiming they wasted time on trivial matters like renaming cockpits to flight decks.
In a broader context, Trump has sought to systematically dismantle DEI programs throughout the federal government. He signed two executive orders in his early days in office, directing agencies to identify and eliminate DEI offices, terminate equity-focused grants and contracts, and abolish long-standing affirmative action requirements for federal contractors.
President Donald Trump signed executive orders cracking down on DEI programs. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The president’s focus on DEI at the FAA intensified following a tragic plane crash in Washington, D.C., last year, where a passenger plane collided with a U.S. military helicopter over the Potomac River.
“We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system,” Trump asserted. “Only the highest aptitude — you have to be the highest intellect — and psychologically superior people, are allowed to qualify for air traffic controllers.”
A helicopter flies near the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
“We have to have our smartest people. It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. What matters is intellect, talent. The word ‘talent.’ They have to be talented geniuses,” Trump emphasized. “We can’t have regular people doing that job. They won’t be able to do it.”
Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
