The Trump administration is dismissing several workers from the Federal Aviation Administration following concerns over personnel shortages in the aftermath of a fatal mid-air collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

David Spero, the head of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, mentioned that initial notices were sent to probationary employees on a late Friday evening.

He said hundreds had received notice that their employment was terminated. 

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump and his sidekick Elon Musk have rapidly shrunk the federal workforce to save money.

On some occasions, these decisions have led to unintended consequences and sparked worries about public safety. For instance, there was a swift effort by the administration to rehire Energy Department personnel upon realizing their role in safeguarding the country’s nuclear weapon stockpiles.

On Thursday, the administration broadened its approach to target probationary employees, who have fewer protections. 

An air traffic controller told the Associated Press that workers affected at the FAA included radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance. 

Spero said messages began arriving after 7 pm on Friday.

The Trump administration is firing hundreds of workers at the Federal Aviation Administration, including staff with responsibility for radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance.

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‘We are troubled and disappointed by the administration’s decision to fire FAA probationary employees PASS represents without cause nor based on performance or conduct,’ he said. 

‘Several hundred employees have been impacted with messages being sent from an ‘exec order’ Microsoft email address, not an official .gov email address.’ 

One FAA worker alleged he had been targeted because of comments he made about Musk’s companies.

‘Before I was fired, the official DOGE Facebook page started harassing me on my personal Facebook account after I criticized Tesla and Twitter,’ Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander wrote on LinkedIn, describing how he was fired after midnight on Saturday.

‘Less than a week later, I was fired, despite my position allegedly being exempted due to national security.’

The dismissals come at a critical time for the FAA, which already faced a shortage of controllers. 

For years, officials have warned that overworked and understaffed air traffic control systems were an accident waiting to happen. 

Last month, 67 people died in a crash between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet.

The causes are still under investigation. But early reports revealed staffing levels were ‘not normal,’ and that a single controller was handling helicopter traffic as well as airline traffic at the airport.

Days later a medical jet crashed in Philadelphia killing all six people on board. 

Spero highlighted the human cost of firing so many people at a stroke. 

‘These are not nameless, faceless bureaucrats. They are our family, friends and neighbors. They contribute to our communities,’ he said.

‘Many military veterans are among them. 

‘It is shameful to toss aside dedicated public servants who have chosen to work on behalf of their fellow Americans.’