you have to actually show evidence when you say stuff like this! Just going “it’s true!” even though there have been no changes to ATC staffing and no policy changes that would immediately impact anything related is hysteria - ThreadSky

seidler.bsky.social • 11 days ago

you have to actually show evidence when you say stuff like this! Just going “it’s true!” even though there have been no changes to ATC staffing and no policy changes that would immediately impact anything related is hysteria

Reposted from DMCj

Yes, but it's also true (because news, not aggregation "left-leaning" or otherwise) that flying's comparably low risk has nonetheless increased dramatically under this Administration. Given the choice, flying is still safer - but if you are flying, the risk is much greater than before.

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seidler.bsky.social•11 days ago

a landing accident in Canada (not yet the 51st state!) where everyone survived despite scary pictures (probably because of all the safety advances in flying!) is not a sign that flying is becoming deadlier under the American president

dmcj.bsky.social•11 days ago

Please don't condescend to me. I didn't tell you to "stick to baseball."

Change to FAA DEI policy doesn't directly affect airline safety but you can bet that kind of interference doesn't help either.

And - no changes to ATC staffing? Did you miss this?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/17/doge-faa-air-traffic-firings-safety/15a59886-ed33-11ef-bd80-8f2ac5c75a8a_story.html

seidler.bsky.social•11 days ago

there were no firings of *actual air traffic controllers* as many other news articles noted, it was support staff. There will be attenuated downstream negative impacts of this stuff, but it's going to take months or years, and people like you are preying on anxieties about flying for political gain

rodgerp.bsky.social•11 days ago

"According to 1 air traffic controller who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity, the firings affected several 100 workers responsible for maintaining FAA radar, landing systems, & navigational aids, which are critical infrastructure for aviation safety."

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-mass-firings-faa-air-traffic-control-2032269

dmcj.bsky.social•11 days ago

In federal jobs you can be “probationary“ even with years of experience. This is not a good development for air safety overall. I hope I’m wrong.

If wanting me and my loved ones to be safe when flying is “hysterical”, I plead guilty. But I sure as hell wouldn’t be as sanguine as you seem to be.

ianlasch.bsky.social•11 days ago

i am not an advocate of freaking out, but they are in fact changing staffing and policy already. staffing (including atc-related positions):
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/17/trump-administration-faa-worker-firings

seidler.bsky.social•11 days ago

I agree that there will probably be real, attenuated impacts of Trump FAA policies down the line, but people are trying to prey on air travel anxieties to make the regular shit happening seem like short-term impacts

also, relevantly: "The firings at the FAA do not include air traffic controllers"

ianlasch.bsky.social•11 days ago

they do include people who maintain and repair atc systems, though, which could be just as bad.

seidler.bsky.social•11 days ago

down the line, sure

ianlasch.bsky.social•11 days ago

yeah, i just don't feel qualified to evaluate exactly how long it might take for that to have an effect. plus, it's a bit like them firing the park service emts... all it really takes is just one time that you need them and don't have them.

ianlasch.bsky.social•11 days ago

policy (allowing spacex to get involved in atc because...?):
https://www.theverge.com/news/614078/faa-air-traffic-control-spacex-elon-musk-layoff-staff-shortage

ianlasch.bsky.social•11 days ago

and the stated goal of project 2025 is to run faa more like a business and privatize some of its aspects. so yes, we can't blame every single thing that happens on the current admin, but they are in fact making substantive changes, and it seems far from clear that the outcome will be a net positive!

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