'Beyond belief': Musk ridiculed for 'inane' effort to rehire air traffic control workers
In the wake of several plane crashes and near-misses, the man now famed for slashing the federal workforce is now trying to make it larger in the most "inane" way possible, according to a piece in The New Republic.
On Thursday, Elon Musk put out the call for retired air traffic controllers to rejoin the labor pool.
"There is a shortage of top notch air traffic controllers," Musk posted to X. "If you have retired, but are open to returning to work, please consider doing so."
TNR's Edith Olmsted wrote, "Musk’s desperate call to bring retired federal employees back into the fray after single-handedly undermining the security of every single government job is inane on its face. It gets even more so when considering the actual requirements for the job."
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She went on to explain, "Individuals interested in becoming an air traffic controller must be younger than 31 years of age to apply for the position, according to the Federal Aviation Administration website. Air traffic controllers are permitted to serve in the position until they are 56 years old."
Olmsted called Musk's efforts to lure back the highly-skilled workers "unserious," but stated, "the problem straining air traffic control towers is anything but."
She cited a 2023 New York Times report stating that "nearly every air traffic control site in the country was understaffed, leading to the staffers in the high-stress position being overworked. After a deadly plane crash at the Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., earlier this month, the Times reported that its air traffic control tower had a staff of 19 controllers—as opposed to the 30 recommended by the FAA and controllers’ union."
Trump blamed that crash on former President Joe Biden's focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) before the National Transportation Safety Board began to investigate. Trump issued an executive order to “immediately stop Biden DEI hiring programs and return to non-discriminatory, merit-based hiring” at the FAA, claiming that it “prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) over safety and efficiency,” Olmsted wrote.