President Trump Orders Immediate Assessment of Aviation Safety

On January 21, 2025, President Trump issued  issued a memorandum on “Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation,” directing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US’ foremost aviation safety body, and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to immediately end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in favor of merit-based hiring.

-FAA directed to immediately end all DEI programs, including those that could potentially favor less qualified individuals based on race, gender, or other identity factors over safety considerations.
-Ends DEI training, hiring practices, or contract allocations that prioritize DEI over safety or merit.
-Mandates that all FAA policies, decisions, and actions must prioritize safety and merit. This includes hiring, promotions, training, and contract awards.
-Secretary of Transportation must identify and eliminate lingering DEI elements within 90 days

Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation

Memorandum for the Secretary of Transportation [and] the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration

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Every day, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), within the U.S. Department of Transportation, oversees safety for more than 45,000 flights and 2.9 million airline passengers. These Americans trust the FAA’s public servants with their lives, and it is therefore imperative that they maintain a commitment to excellence and efficiency.

During the prior administration, however, the FAA betrayed its mission by elevating dangerous discrimination over excellence. For example, prior to my Inauguration, the FAA Diversity and Inclusion website revealed that the prior administration sought to specifically recruit and hire individuals with serious infirmities that could impact the execution of their essential life-saving duties.

Illegal and discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring, including on the basis of race, sex, disability, or any other criteria other than the safety of airline passengers and overall job excellence, competency, and qualification, harms all Americans, who deserve to fly with confidence. It also penalizes hard-working Americans who want to serve in the FAA but are unable to do so, as they lack a requisite disability or skin color. FAA Federal servants must hold the qualifications and ability to perform their jobs to the highest possible standard of excellence.

I hereby order the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administrator to immediately return to non-discriminatory, merit-based hiring, as required by law. All so-called DEI initiatives, including all dangerous preferencing policies or practices, shall immediately be rescinded in favor of hiring, promoting, and otherwise treating employees on the basis of individual capability, competence, achievement, and dedication.

The Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administrator shall review the past performance and performance standards of all individuals in critical safety positions and take all appropriate action to ensure that any individual who fails or has failed to demonstrate requisite capability is replaced by a high-capability individual that will ensure top-notch air safety and efficiency.

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In the wake of the DC plane crash:

President Donald J. Trump signs a Presidential Memorandum ordering an immediate assessment of aviation safety to ensure the damage resulting from the Biden administration's obsession with DEI is undone pic.twitter.com/Avy618SVLB

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 30, 2025

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION
ADMINISTRATION

SUBJECT:       Immediate Assessment of Aviation Safety

On January 29, 2025, a commercial aircraft and a military helicopter horrifically collided near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.  American families today woke up without their loved ones after what should have been a routine trip, and the entire Nation mourns the loss of the victims.

This shocking event follows problematic and likely illegal decisions during the Obama and Biden Administrations that minimized merit and competence in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  The Obama Administration implemented a biographical questionnaire at the FAA to shift the hiring focus away from objective aptitude.  During my first term, my Administration raised standards to achieve the highest standards of safety and excellence.  But the Biden Administration egregiously rejected merit-based hiring, requiring all executive departments and agencies to implement dangerous “diversity equity and inclusion” tactics, and specifically recruiting individuals with “severe intellectual” disabilities in the FAA.

On my second day in office, I ordered an immediate return to merit-based recruitment, hiring, and promotion, elevating safety and ability as the paramount standard.  Yesterday’s devastating accident tragically underscores the need to elevate safety and competence as the priority of the FAA.

Consistent with the Presidential Memorandum of January 21, 2025 (Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation), I am further ordering the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (Administrator) to review all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols made during the prior 4 years, and to take such corrective action as necessary to achieve uncompromised aviation safety, including the replacement of any individuals who do not meet qualification standards.  This review shall include a systematic assessment of any deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety standards and protocols during the Biden Administration.

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Consistent with the Presidential Memorandum of January 21, 2025, the Secretary and the Administrator shall take all actions necessary to reverse concerning safety and personnel trends during the prior 4 years, instill an unwavering commitment to aviation safety, and ensure that all Americans fly with peace of mind.