In a stunning Congressional testimony, Dave Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) union, revealed that Elon Musk’s reckless downsizing of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has put air safety at risk—and almost no efforts have been made to reverse the damage.
“Only three of the 332 FAA employees who were fired have been rehired, and no new hires have been made to fill the empty positions,” Spero told Congress.
His remarks came in response to a question from Rep. Steve Cohen, who asked whether Musk’s cost-cutting measures had compromised aviation safety. The answer was a resounding yes.
Musk’s Influence Over the FAA Raises Alarming Questions
During the hearing, Spero was also asked if Elon Musk—or someone like him—should have control over FAA operations and if privatization is the answer to its funding issues.
“Privatization is not the solution to those problems,” Spero responded. “The FAA requires predictable funding, long-term planning, and faster deployment.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President, Nick Daniels, also weighed in, confirming that while no air traffic controllers were directly fired, the aviation safety professionals who were terminated were all essential to safe operations.
“We continue to evaluate the impacts to safety, and we will make sure we raise them to this committee as appropriate,” Daniels testified.
With a looming government shutdown threatening to stall any safety assessments, the potential risks to air travelers and the aviation industry continue to grow.
A Disaster in the Making?
The mass firings at the FAA are part of a broader effort by Trump and Musk to slash federal agencies, paving the way for corporate control and deep tax cuts for the wealthy.
The consequences? A severely understaffed aviation safety system, increased risks for passengers, and an overall decline in U.S. air travel safety standards.
The warning from aviation experts is clear: unless something changes soon, the reckless gutting of the FAA could lead to catastrophic failures in air safety—failures that could have been easily avoided.
