FAA Rehires 132 Employees After Court Order; Trump Picks New Agency Chief Amid Safety Concerns

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reinstated 132 employees who were dismissed on Feb.14, following a ruling by a federal judge in Maryland. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump nominated Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford to head the FAA, which is facing growing scrutiny after a series of recent air crashes.

U.S. District Judge James Bredar, based in Baltimore, ruled that the mass layoffs violated federal regulations, which require individual assessments of employees before any termination, Reuters reported.

The judge criticized the process, stating that the employees were not evaluated on an individual basis and were dismissed in bulk without proper consideration.

The employees, all probationary workers, will receive back pay and are expected to return to their jobs on Mar. 20.

The firings were part of federal government cuts led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under tech billionaire Elon Musk.

"While the agency is complying with a Maryland court ruling handed down last week that said the terminations at various agencies—including the Department of Transportation—were unlawful, this is a win for public safety and for a critical workforce dedicated to the FAA's mission," Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) union's national president, David Spero, said in a statement.

Though their termination emails say the employees were dismissed for performance reasons "not in the public interest," Spero stated that, according to their managers and supervisors, this claim is entirely false.

"We are pleased that the expungement of these letters referencing the false performance claims allows these employees to continue their service to the American flying public without this unsubstantiated blemish on their work record," Spero added.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had previously revealed that the FAA had cut 352 probationary workers from its staff of about 45,000, emphasizing that none of those let go were in "safety-critical" roles.

The layoffs were part of broader reductions across several government agencies. The union noted that those affected by the February firings included workers in technical operations, mission support services, air traffic services, and flight standards service.

FAA Faces Staff Shortages

The FAA is currently experiencing significant staff shortages, particularly in air traffic control. Despite efforts to reduce cuts in essential roles, the agency is still facing a shortage of around 3,500 controllers. Many existing controllers are reportedly working long hours to manage the workload.

Secretary Duffy has announced plans to increase hiring to address these gaps.

Bryan Bedford Nominated For FAA Leadership

In a separate development, President Donald Trump has nominated Bryan Bedford, the CEO of Republic Airways, to lead the FAA, CNBC reported.

Bedford, a seasoned pilot with over 30 years of experience in the aviation industry, had previously led two other carriers and expanded Republic Airways, the biggest regional airlines in North America.

"Bryan brings over three decades of experience in Aviation and Executive Leadership to this critical position," Trump said.

The FAA position has been vacant since Jan. 20, when Mike Whitaker stepped down as Administrator. If confirmed, Bedford will be tasked with overseeing key decisions, including the future production plans for Boeing's 737 Max aircraft.

Meanwhile, the agency is under growing scrutiny in the midst of recent crashes. Late January, 67 people were killed after a mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Other recent incidents include fatal crashes of small planes in Alaska and Philadelphia, overturning of Delta jet upon landing in Toronto and a near miss at Chicago Midway involving a Southwest Airlines jet.

Originally published on IBTimes