Trump's cuts are harming airplane passengers' safety. We need more investment.
The recent airplane crash at Toronto's Pearson Airport underlined once again the top priority of flight attendants: the safety of their passengers.
Their quick actions undoubtedly prevented serious injuries, and perhaps fatalities. Further, this issue continues to get closer to home, as the near collision incident this week at Chicago Midway Airport shows, involving an aircraft originating from Knoxville.
Flight attendants provide care and comfort to the three million passengers who travel daily in the United States. But above all, as the Pearson incident and other recent airplane emergencies show, we are safety professionals trained to treat medical crises, neutralize onboard threats, and evacuate during emergencies. We are the last line of defense for passenger safety in the skies.
What is not appreciated, because it is not readily visible, is the system that supports flight attendants.
To maintain a high standard of safety and security in the air, flight crews require the support and expertise of ground staff in control towers, aviation analysts in government offices, and, yes, elected officials in Congress who proactively address critical safety challenges through legislation and oversight.
Unfortunately, the Trump Administration is recklessly putting flight crews and the flying public in jeopardy. During an already historic air traffic controller shortage, the administration:
paused hiring and training of incoming controllers through a federal hiring freeze, without clear guidance on specific exemptions.
terminated air traffic control support staff,
gutted the Aviation Security Advisory Committee,
forced out the head of the Transportation Security Administration, and
most recently fired 400 Federal Aviation Administration personnel tasked with ensuring safety through radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance.
Opinion: DOGE is exposing absurdities and Americans support it. Ignore the media hype.
These dangerous and unacceptable steps will put lives at risk, including the 33 million passengers that flew through the four big cities in Tennessee in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Air travel is still the safest form of transportation, but that reality is not inevitable.
On behalf of my one million colleagues in the U.S. airline industry, and the many millions of Americans who travel regularly, Congress needs to provide a check and balance on the White House and maintain safety in the skies.
Alex Roberts, a Knoxville, Tennessee native, is a second-generation aviation worker and a government affairs representative for a major airline union, representing nearly 30,000 flight attendants across the country. Find him on BlueSky at https://bsky.app/profile/alexander-roberts.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Airplane passengers deserve for Trump to invest in safety | Opinion
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