In an executive order issued on his second day in office, President Donald Trump declared that the Federal Aviation Administration’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs must be immediately discontinued. He claimed that DEI penalizes hardworking Americans who wish to work for the FAA but are unable to do so because they do not meet the necessary skin color or disability requirements.
This order, titled “Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation,” was issued in reaction to conservatives targeting the agency early last year after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines plane at 16,000 feet. It was one of several executive orders that revoked all types of DEI in government agencies. A federal oversight committee came to the conclusion that the agency’s oversight of Boeing, the plane’s manufacturer, was ineffective.
DEI has resulted in the hiring of individuals with significant intellectual disabilities, mental health conditions, and total paralysis, according to a White House fact sheet about Trump’s executive orders.
According to Tennessee Garvey, a 22-year veteran pilot for a large airline, some have weaponized DEI. Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX and a Trump ally, said last year that Boeing put DEI ahead of safety since it had a diversity initiative.
“That’s simply untrue,” Garvey stated. Since DEI doesn’t pose any safety problems, there has never been any evidence of this.
Former pilot Eric Hendrick, head of pilot outreach at Delta Airlines, concurred.
Why don’t we investigate every aircraft accident in the past and let me know how many times a Black pilot was at fault? “I said.” When it comes to pilots, there is no sliding scale. The industry standards are stringent and must be met by all. Therefore, it is absurd to use DEI as a weapon by claiming that it could endanger public safety.
Through 2033, the Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates that 18,000 pilot positions will arise annually. In the meantime, there has been a long-standing scarcity of air traffic controllers at the FAA. According to Garvey, getting rid of DEI might make demand worse. Requests for comment on the potential impact of the executive order on pilot numbers were not answered by American Airlines, United, or Southwest.
According to Garvey, it is really shocking that programs that can aid in aviation safety are being eliminated in an industry where promoting aviation safety is the main objective. And how can DEI be the issue if there is a problem with American aviation?Only 4 percent of pilots in this space are Black.
According to Hendrick, the executive order shouldn’t halt airlines’ initiatives that support equity in employment and opportunity.
Hendrick stated that while Trump’s order is indicative of their goals, it is not representative of the aviation sector. He underlined that the big airlines have diversity programs in place for decades and that they won’t quit despite political pressure.
For 23-year-old Tremaine Johnson, a senior at Florida Memorial University who aspires to become a pilot, that is encouraging. Johnson, who works at an airport service center, claimed he can count the number of Black pilots he sees on one hand. He obtained his pilot’s license and, according to him, is spending $1,000 of his $1,700 biweekly salary on training to become a commercial pilot.
It really got to me when he told me that the FAA’s DEI programs had been discontinued. It was startling. Black folks, as we all know, must put forth more effort to achieve our goals. Therefore, I fail to see why DEI is seen negatively.
The 2020 Covid pandemic caused Johnson’s aim to be postponed. He added, “Now, this feels like another roadblock.” However, I will not allow it to deter me. I’m going to continue. All I want to do is fly.
Trump’s executive order, according to Garvey, who is also the leader of the 5,000-member Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, undercuts years of efforts by his group and initiatives that have given Black pilots, air traffic controllers, and other aviation workers career development, training, and mentorship.
He emphasized the need of representation. DEI is crucial. It is essential to the industry’s long-term prosperity and morally required. The act of creating possibilities is perfectly acceptable. Making others feel important is perfectly acceptable. Diversity has nothing wrong with it. An atmosphere that is diverse is stronger. Success comes from diversity. Additionally, ensuring that no barriers exist for a specific set of people is perfectly acceptable.
In order to attract and assist students in obtaining employment with the federal government, the National Hispanic Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees visits local schools, including those that serve Hispanic students.
Oscar Torres, the group’s national president and a 17-year veteran of the federal government’s air traffic control system, stated, “We are not looking for people based on their ethnic background, but the schools we attend are minority-serving institutions.”
“A little over 10 percent of the 44,000 FAA employees were Latinos as of my last check,” he added. Once more, Torres stated that there is still work to be done in order to identify that talented pool of people. The largest minority group in the nation is Latino. Numbers that don’t accurately represent the nation’s appearance, in my opinion, should serve as a guide for us. Hey, we need to get to work.
He claimed FAA jobs are in high demand. According to Torres, up to 25,000 people may apply for a position as an air traffic controller.
Garvey claimed that because of his own passion for flying, he is representative of the aspiring pilots that OBAP has helped for over 50 years. He added that the Trump executive order has now motivated the group to step up its activities.
In order to give underrepresented groups—particularly Black pilots and traffic controllers—and all aerospace workers the support they require to succeed in this field, we will keep offering mentorship and advice.