The union representing more than 28,000 American Airlines flight attendants says it is “alarmed” by the numerous fast-paced changes the Trump administration is making within agencies responsible for aviation safety across the United States.
In an open letter to congressional leaders, including Ted Cruz and Steve Womack, the president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) said the “arbitrary” cuts at agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration, must be immediately reversed.
“As Flight Attendants, we recognize our role and responsibilities as safety professionals can be the difference in saving the lives of our passengers,” wrote the union’s leader, Julie Hedrick.
“As an industry, it is imperative that we work together to ensure the adequate funding, training, regulations, and protections necessary to maintain the highest level of safety in our airspace,” Hedrick added.
Of particular alarm to Hedrick and tens of thousands of other flight attendants is the Trump administration’s decision to carry out mass terminations at the FAA – a chronically understaffed agency that has struggled to hire mission-critical staffers.
“Similarly, hundreds of employees at TSA, an agency commissioned to safeguard U.S. aviation after the attacks of 9/11 and ensure our aircraft are never weaponized again, have been terminated,” Hedrick’s letter continued.
“APFA cautions that downsizing any agency that oversees aviation safety and security, particularly under our most recent circumstances, is ill-timed and dangerous.”
Hedrick called out the Department of Transportation (DOT), under the direction of Secretary Sean Duffy, for ordering workers to respond to Elon Musk’s ‘What did you do last week?’ email with the warning that failing to list five achievements from the past week will be taken as a resignation.
The order applied to all workers, including air traffic controllers.
“Recently, this workforce [air traffic controllers] received unconventional and perplexing communication in which lack of action could result in termination. This confusion is precisely what we do not want our controllers distracted by while on the job,” the open letter continued.
“We oppose privatizing U.S. air traffic control. Now is a critical time to enhance safety and security, as any such privatization effort would detract from already identified investments and reforms our industry must urgently make.”
Recent aviation accidents have shocked flight attendants across the United States, although there is no suggestion that any actions taken by the Trump administration have been responsible for these incidents.
Travelers are also being cautioned not to be alarmed by every minor aviation incident being scrutinized by the media in the wake of the American Airlines tragedy at Washington National Airport in January and the crash of a Delta Connection flight in Toronto earlier this month.
Shame on the greedy republicans voters who themselves travel frequently and now will be afraid of the friendly skies. Many flight attendants including myself will call off sick get full pay and stay home since Trump and Elon don’t care about the safety of the airline crews. Watch the major airlines scramble and cancel since it takes quite a long time to train airline staff . Many of these selfish people were raised the right way but chose the Trump train and their real estate portfolios over a
fully staffed FAA DOT TSA /federal government . I’m hoping for a blue wave in 2026.
Once the DEI BS ends, the FAA will have no problem hiring qualified people to fill their vacancies. Anything would be better than the monstrosity we have now. Fear holds you back from experiencing a better outcome. I sound like a damn hippie now. ( Puts on long hair wig and lights a spliff )
I am amazed that someone from American Airlines can criticize anyone or anything. This is the worst carrier in the United States that has so many shortcomings it is pathetic. AA employees need to focus on there customer, maybe a “refresher” course taught by Breeze or Jet Blue would help.