Obama-era FAA policies that prioritized DEI hiring accused of degrading air traffic control

In the wake of Wednesday's devastating collision between a passenger jet and a military helicopter, Americans have been scrutinizing the FAA's air traffic controller hiring practices and the findings have been damning.

President Donald Trump has been loudly condemning DEI practices in hiring ever since the disaster and as it turns out, former President Barack Obama is responsible for introducing "prioritization" of so-called disadvantaged people in hiring practices for critical roles.

Ironically, the collision happened just days after Trump revoked Obama's executive order tasking the FAA with hiring candidates that had “targeted disabilities,” including “severe physical disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and intellectual disabilities.”

Over the past few years, DEI requirements led to the FAA holding open hiring processes for critical jobs like air traffic controllers which previously had been reserved for ex-military controllers or students from aviation schools with specific education.

In order to hit diversity quotas, the FAA was forced to expand the field of candidates hired leading to candidates who needed more training and became a burden to already overworked superiors.

Wednesday's tragedy highlighted the damage that DEI policies have done to public trust as many Americans can't trust that air traffic controllers and pilots are of the highest quality. As the Trump administration makes reforms, more information will come to light about how much damage DEI has done to public safety.