A former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defense program employee has publicly shared his concerns about traveling Americans’ safety amid the government’s sweeping changes and firings in the air travel industry.
Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander was terminated on February 14 from his role in the FAA’s National Airspace System Defense Program. The program involves keeping America’s borders secure and maintaining national security via radar detection. Spitzer-Stadtlander was one of hundreds of FAA workers who were recently fired.
“I do think the American public does need to be concerned, about not only my firing but also the firing of so many public safety national security professionals at the FAA and within the Department of Transportation,” Spitzer-Stadtlander told CNN. “But, you know, writ large — also throughout the federal government.”
The former FAA worker stated that he was working on “incredibly important national security work” when he was fired “without any warning.”
“This is about protecting national security, and I’m scared to death. And the American public should be scared too,” he told the Associated Press.
What Else Should Americans Know About The Ongoing Changes In Air Travel?
On February 17, Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy denied that any “air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel” were recently fired. The transportation official claimed that less than 400 were fired, and of those terminated, the workers “had been hired less than a year ago.”
Plane crash, collision, and incident coverage have dominated the headlines recently. However, air travel is still generally considered the safest mode of transportation.
The recent FAA firings were around two weeks after a tragic American Airlines flight collision with a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River, which resulted in 67 presumed dead. Also, in late January, under the recently inaugurated Trump administration, all members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee were terminated. Additionally, the FAA’s hiring practices and diversity, equity, and inclusion practices have been targeted.
