The basic problem, which reformers have been trying to remedy since the Clinton administration, is that the system is operated by a cumbersome federal bureaucracy—the same bureaucracy that’s also responsible for overseeing air safety. The FAA is supposed to be a watchdog, but we’ve put it in charge of watching itself.

The new secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, appeared to walk back an enticement to retire, saying F.A.A. safety workers were exempt from the offer for federal workers.

Just a day before a deadly midair collision at Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., employees at the Federal Aviation Administration were sent an offer to resign with eight months’ pay.

The staffing numbers from 2023, the most recent year made available by the Federal Aviation Administration, show the airport is above the staffing standard and just below the optimal staffing level.

Air controller Tyler Casper controls the taxi ways from the 150-foot control tower in 2008. Last week’s mid-air collision highlighted the air traffic controller shortage but FAA documents show Sacramento’s staffing is above its “staffing standards target.”

Air traffic controllers are exempt from a buyout offer President Trump’s administration introduced last week to nearly 2 million federal workers, including controllers. The clarification follows two deadly plane crashes,

The air traffic controllers union had asked for clarification on whether members were eligible for the federal buyout and only received confirmation from a report on CNN.

A viral post shared on X claims President Donald Trump fired multiple federal employees, including 3,000 air traffic controllers, ahead of a recent fatal crash between a Black Hawk helicopter and a commercial flight.