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The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) will now mandate that all commercial airlines formally commit to merit-based hiring for pilots.
According to the new rule, all US carriers must certify that they have ceased to hire pilots on the basis of race or sex.
If carriers refuse, they will face a federal investigation.
“When families board their aircraft, they should fly with confidence knowing the pilot behind the controls is the best of the best,” Department of Transportation (DoT) Secretary Sean P. Duffy said.
“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.”
The DoT said that although the FAA has raised performance standards and eliminated diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI) positions within the agency, “allegations of airlines hiring based on race and sex remain.”
President Trump issued an Executive Order and presidential memorandum on his second day back in office to tighten standards in aviation.
In the Executive Order, Trump wrote that critical institutions, including commercial airlines, have adopted “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences.”
The President’s memorandum ordered Sec. Duffy and the FAA to end all DEI initiatives t the agency.
President Trump blamed DEI policies at the FAA for a deadly crash a week later that left 67 people dead.
“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,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said.
“Someone’s race, sex, or creed, has nothing to do with their ability to fly and land aircraft safely.”
