On his second day in office, President Donald Trump ordered the immediate end to the Federal Aviation Administration's diversity, equity and inclusion program in an executive order, declaring that DEI "punishes those who want to serve at the FAA but are unable to" Hard-working Americans who serve in bureaus do so because they lack the necessary disability or color.”

The order, titled "Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation," joins other executive orders repealing all forms of DEI in federal agencies after conservatives targeted the agency early last year in response to the bombing of a team The release comes after an incident on an Alaska Airlines plane. The aircraft was at an altitude of 16,000 feet. A federal oversight board has concluded that the agency did not provide "effective" oversight of plane maker Boeing Co.

A White House fact sheet on Trump's executive order adds that DEI results in the hiring of people with "severe intellectual" disabilities, mental problems and total paralysis.

Tennessee Garvey, who worked for a major aerospace company for 22 years, said DEI "has been weaponized" by people like SpaceX owner and Trump ally Elon Musk. Musk Boeing said last year it "puts DEI ahead of safety" because of its diversity plans.

"That's wrong," Garvey said. "There has never been any evidence that DEI causes any safety issues, because it doesn't."

Eric Hendrick, a former pilot and director of pilot outreach for Delta Air Lines, agrees.

"Why don't we look back in history and study every plane crash and tell me how many of them were caused by black pilots?" he said. "There is no sliding scale for pilots. Everyone has to meet industry standards, and the standards are high. So to weaponize DEI by claiming it could threaten public safety is ridiculous."

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2033, approximately 18,000 new pilot positions will be created annually. Meanwhile, the FAA has faced a shortage of air traffic controllers for years. Garvey said eliminating DEI may only exacerbate demand. American Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines did not respond to requests for comment on how the executive order affects pilot numbers.

“In an industry whose goal is to promote aviation safety, it’s unbelievable that they are canceling programs that help safety,” Garvey said. “If the U.S. aviation industry has a problem, how can DEI be a problem? Only 4% of black pilots fly in this space.”

Hendrick said the executive order should not block airlines' plans to promote fair hiring and existing opportunities.

"Trump's order is emblematic of what they want to do, but it's not emblematic of the airline industry," Hendrick said, stressing that major airlines have been implementing diversity programs for decades, even in the face of political pressure. "That's not going to stop either."

That's encouraging for Tremaine Johnson, a 23-year-old senior at Florida Memorial University who wants to be a pilot. Johnson, who works in an airport services center, said he "can count on my hands the number of black pilots I've seen." He said he obtained his pilot's license and used $1,000 of his $1,700 salary every two weeks to pay for training to become a commercial pilot.

When he learned the FAA's DEI program had been shut down, "It hit me hard. It was shocking. We all know black people have to work twice as hard to get what we want. So I don't understand why people think DEI not good."

When the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, Johnson's goal was delayed. "Now this feels like another hurdle," he said. "But I'm not going to let it stop me. I'm going to keep going. I just want to fly."

Garvey, who also heads the 5,000-member Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, said Trump's executive order undermines the organization and programs that have provided mentoring, training and other workers for black pilots, air traffic controllers and other workers for years. Career advancement jobs in the aviation field.

“Representation is very important,” he said. “DEI is critical. It’s morally necessary and critical to the long-term success of the industry. … There’s nothing wrong with creating opportunity. There’s nothing wrong with making people feel valued. There’s nothing wrong with diversity. Diversity Sex makes for a stronger environment. There’s nothing wrong with ensuring that there are no barriers for a particular group of people.”

The National Hispanic Federation of Federal Aviation Employees goes to schools in local communities, including Hispanic-serving institutions, to recruit and help students find jobs with the federal government.

“We don’t look for people based on race, but the schools we attend are minority-serving institutions,” said Oscar Torres, the organization’s national president and an air traffic control expert who has worked for the federal government for 17 years. ."

He added that as of the last inspection, just over 10% of the FAA's 44,000-strong workforce were Latino. "There's still a lot of work to be done in terms of finding talent," Torres said. "Latinos are the largest minority in the country. I think when your numbers don't reflect the country... that's a guide for us. . “Hey, we’ve got some work to do. "

FAA jobs are coveted, he said. Torres said there can be up to 25,000 applicants for each air traffic controller position.

Garvey himself has a strong interest in the aviation industry and said he is a symbol of the future aviation workers that OBAP has helped for more than 50 years. Now, Trump's executive order has inspired the group to redouble its efforts, he said.

“We will continue to provide guidance and guidance to ensure that underrepresented groups, particularly Black pilots and traffic controllers and all aerospace professionals, will receive the support they need to thrive in this industry.”