FAA executive order follows a conservative talking point on diversity in aviation

Donald Trump ordered the immediate end to diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the Federal Aviation Administration.

On his second day in office, President Donald Trump ordered the immediate end to diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the Federal Aviation Administration in an executive order proclaiming that DEI “penalizes hard-working Americans who want to serve in the FAA but are unable to do so, as they lack a requisite disability or skin color.”

On top of other executive orders rescinding all forms of DEI in federal agencies, this order called Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation came after conservatives put a target on the agency early last year in response to an incident in which a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines plane at 16,000 feet. A federal oversight committee concluded that the agency did not perform “effective” oversight of the plane’s manufacturer, Boeing.

A White House fact sheet about Trump’s executive orders added that DEI had led to hiring of people with “‘severe intellectual’ disabilities, psychiatric issues, and complete paralysis.”

Tennessee Garvey, a pilot for a major airline for 22 years, said DEI “has been weaponized” by some like Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX and a Trump ally who said last year that Boeing “prioritized DEI over safety” because it had a diversity program. 

“That’s just false,” Garvey said. “There’s never been any proof that DEI causes any safety issues, because it doesn’t.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/faa-executive-order-diversity-aviation-dei-rcna188749

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