DOT Issues Sweeping Mandate to Halt DEI-Hiring Pilots
The requirement was issued through a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Operations Specification (OpSpec), compelling carriers to certify that any diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies influencing pilot selection have been discontinued. Airlines that do not comply could face federal investigations.
“When families board their aircraft, they should fly with confidence knowing the pilot behind the controls is the best of the best,” Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement Friday. “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.”
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford underscored that the policy centers on aviation safety. “It is a bare minimum expectation for airlines to hire the most qualified individual when making someone responsible for hundreds of lives at a time,” Bedford said. “Someone’s race, sex, or creed has nothing to do with their ability to fly and land aircraft safely.”
The administration’s scrutiny of aviation hiring standards increased after a fatal midair collision last January involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet that killed 67 people, shortly after President Donald Trump assumed office. In the aftermath, Trump publicly attributed the accident to DEI hiring practices at the FAA, claiming they were carried over from the prior administration.
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