'Musk's 'Pointless Bloodbath' At FAA Is Clumsy, Reckless And Will Likely Get People Killed'

[sop]

"If all the recent air disasters have you worried about flying, the actions that Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Trump are taking at the Federal Aviation Administration probably won't make you feel any better...Last week, Musk and Trump fired hundreds of FAA employees, many of whom worked in vital safety roles."

"Among those fired were 'multiple lawyers whose job was to help prevent pilots with drug and alcohol problems from getting in the cockpit.'...He also fired Air Traffic control support staff who were doing actual important work. One fired staffer...worked to ensure 'flight paths account for hazards like cranes and new buildings,' while another 'ensured that pilots are medically able and cleared to fly.' Musk also got rid of 'several attorneys who work to ensure that licensed pilots in the United States aren't putting the broader public in danger or hiding criminal records, health concerns, or serious addictions.'"

"As important as it is to keep planes from crashing into cranes or new buildings and ensure pilots are sober, the fired lawyers do vital work and can't easily be replaced:"

"This work in the Aviation Litigation Division involves investigating flight schools that improperly or negligently train pilots; potentially suspending the licenses of private or commercial-airline pilots who get DUIs and other relevant criminal charges that would suggest it is unwise to allow them to fly planes full of passengers; dealing with commercial pilots if they're caught engaging in reckless or unsafe behavior, or lying about a drinking problem or an illicit drug dependency; and addressing reports that drone operators are breaking FAA rules and regulations."

"The terminated FAA staffer, who worked to medically certify pilots, similarly says their own firing came as a surprise given 'all the aviation crashes and things going on' — though they note that since Trump took office, "it's just been one sh*tstorm after the other.'"

https://www.jalopnik.com/1796503/elon-musk-doge-faa-employees-fired-implications/

[Lovie777]

1. It's already happening..................

[Lonestarblue]

2. What kind of idiots fire the people who prevent air crashes!

Trump and Musk are courting air disasters. Airline CEOs should be going to the media and screaming about this. Their pilots rely on up-to-date air route maps and air traffic controllers and the staff that support them to keep flying safe. Airplane crashes are not good for the bottom line or the public’s confidence in the safety of flying, so why are the CEOs of Delta, United, America, Jet Blue, and others staying silent?

Perhaps it will take some foreign airlines to cite safety issues to refuse to fly to US major airports like JFK, O’Hare, and Hartsfield—already three of the most congested airports in the country—to get Trump and Musk’s attention.

[Aristus]

3. Large executive salaries and bonuses can buy a lot of silence.

Not that they necessarily need to. When has any CEO ever cared about anything beyond the next payday and the next quarterly bonus?

CEO’s are pathologically incapable of thinking long-term. As long as the money keeps rolling in, they’ll keep silent. Air travel isn’t going to suffer. It’s too indispensable for the economy. No one is going to choose a three-day train trip over a three hour flight. Even if the likelihood of crashing increases.

[CTyankee]

4. Thankfully, I'm done with air travel, now maybe forever. This situation scares the crap out of me...