US airlines must certify use of merit-based hiring for pilots, FAA says

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Friday a mandatory “Operations Specification” requiring all commercial airlines to formally commit to hiring based on merit rather than on DEI-based qualifications.

The FAA said it has worked to eliminate DEI offices and contracts and to revise directives put in place under the Biden administration, but noted there remain allegations that airlines are hiring based on race and sex. Under the new mandate, all US carriers must certify that such practices have been terminated or face potential federal investigation.

The action follows an executive order signed by President Trump aimed at ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based hiring, as well as his presidential action on “Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation.”

“When families board their aircraft, they should fly with confidence knowing the pilot behind the controls is the best of the best. The American people don’t care what their pilot looks like or their gender—they just care that they are [the] most qualified man or woman for the job,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “Safety drives everything we do, and this commonsense measure will increase transparency between passengers and airlines.”  

Airlines in recent years have spoken publicly about efforts to increase the number of pilots from so-called underrepresented groups. In 2021, United Airlines said it had a goal of training 5,000 pilots by 2030 and ensuring at least half were women or people of color.

“At the FAA, the safety of passengers is our number one priority,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “It is a bare minimum expectation for airlines to hire the most qualified individual when making someone responsible for hundreds of lives at a time. Someone’s race, sex, or creed has nothing to do with their ability to fly and land aircraft safely.”