U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing a new mandatory “Operations Specification” (OpSpec) requiring all commercial airlines to formally commit to merit-based hiring for pilots.
While the FAA has raised performance standards, dismantled DEI offices and contracts, and revised outdated directives, allegations of airlines hiring based on race and sex remain. Under this new mandate, all U.S. carriers will be required to certify that this practice is terminated. Failure to do so will subject airlines to federal investigation.
“When families board their aircraft, they should fly with confidence knowing the pilot behind the controls is the best of the best. The American people don’t care what their pilot looks like or their gender—they just care that they are most qualified man or woman for the job,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Safety drives everything we do, and this commonsense measure will increase transparency between passengers and airlines.”
This action is in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order on Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity and his Presidential Action on Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation.
“At the FAA, the safety of passengers is our number one priority,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “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. Someone’s race, sex, or creed, has nothing to do with their ability to fly and land aircraft safely.”
The original announcement can be found here.
