Firing FAA Workers Is 'Stupid'; NJ Congressman Blasts Trump Layoffs

NEWARK, NJ — The demand for air travel is surging. The number of air traffic controllers can’t keep up. And at least 87 people have died in plane crashes so far this year. So why did President Donald Trump’s administration just fire hundreds of workers at the Federal Aviation Administration?

That’s the question U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) recently asked at a news conference at Newark Airport. His conclusion?

“Firing FAA workers is just plain stupid,” the congressman said.

Last week, the Trump Administration dismissed about 400 employees with the federal agency, which regulates civil aviation in the United States, including air traffic control, safety standards and other crucial transportation duties.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that “zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go.” However, union representatives have claimed that some of the jobs on the chopping block included aviation safety assistants, maintenance mechanics and nautical information specialists, the Associated Press reported.

Gottheimer said the decision will have a serious impact on airports across the nation, including Newark Airport, which has seen a chronic lack of air traffic controllers in the past.

In March 2024, federal authorities announced plans to transfer control of the airspace in the Newark area to Philadelphia. The FAA signed a memorandum with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association to relocate control of Newark at New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) (N90) to Philadelphia Tower/TRACON by the end of June, Reuters reported.

• See Related: Feds Will Move Newark Air Traffic Control To Philadelphia
• See Related: Lack Of Air Traffic Controllers Slows Flights In Newark

It all comes at a very bad time for air travelers in the New Jersey-New York area, Gottheimer said.

According to the congressman, the Port Authority reported that 146 million air passengers flew in and out of the region last year – a new record.

Meanwhile, more than 90 percent of the nation’s air traffic control facilities operate below the FAA’s recommended staffing levels. And as of December 2024, the FAA had a technician shortage of about 800 workers, Gottheimer said.

The congressman said he is introducing proposed legislation that would prohibit major staffing cuts at the FAA if a fatal crash has occurred in U.S. airspace within the last year.

“While the number of flights has surged, the number of aviation workers protecting us hasn’t kept pace,” Gottheimer said. “Despite all of this, the Trump Administration announced they were gutting the FAA and firing hundreds of these critical FAA workers at our airports across the country.”

“If we want to reassure families that we are doing everything to protect the lives of their loved ones, we can’t also tell them there will be fewer workers looking out for their safety when they fly,” he urged.

• See Related: IRS Lays Off NJ Workers As Tax Season Begins

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