Trump administration fires hundreds of FAA employees, raises aviation safety issues

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The Trump administration has fired hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, interrupting personnel on air travel at a critical time and raising concerns about aviation safety. The sudden shooting reportedly began Friday night, weeks after a deadly air crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January. Late night email notifications to them for termination. The notifications reportedly came from the non-government “Exec Order” Microsoft email address. In the Associated Press, the shooting hit technicians, but there was no clarification on how many air traffic controllers were affected. The National Association of Air Traffic Controllers (NATCA) acknowledged the termination in a brief statement, saying they are analyzing the impact on aviation safety, the national airspace system and its members. Facing the termination on a long weekend, it was even banned from entering the FAA building on Tuesday. The move is because the FAA is already struggling with a shortage of air traffic controllers. Industry experts have long warned that low wages, hard shifts, extensive training requirements, and mandatory retirement have overworked and understaffed the U.S. air traffic control system. In addition, a series of near-innocence incidents occurred in major U.S. airports in recent months, raising alarms about safety. The timing of these shootings, on a busy travel weekend, drew criticism from aviation experts and unions shortly after the fatal aviation accident.

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