The union representing the nation's air traffic controllers defended workers against President Donald Trump's comments following the fatal midair collision between a passenger jet and U.S. military helicopter, saying earning certifications is "not based on race or gender."
"Air traffic controllers earn the prestigious and elite status of being a fully certified professional controller after successfully completing a series of rigorous training milestones," Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said Friday in a statement, according to The Hill. "The standards to achieve certifications are not based on race or gender."
Following the collision of an American Airlines jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., which killed all 67 on board both aircraft, Trump criticized hiring initiatives based on diversity, equity and inclusion. During a press briefing Thursday, he also cited efforts by the Federal Aviation Administration to hire individuals with disabilities, including dwarfism, missing limbs and intellectual disabilities.
"I put safety first. [President Barack] Obama, [President Joe] Biden, and the Democrats put policy first," Trump said Thursday, adding that many of those DEI hires would be good for particular jobs, but not as an air traffic controller.
"Brilliant people have to be in those positions," Trump said. "It is very important to understand that for some jobs, and not only this, but air traffic controllers, they have to be at the highest level of genius."
Daniels said the union was committed to working with Trump to "recruit the best and brightest" and address concerns including pay, benefits, and the "mounting stress that comes with this demanding job."
"The proud men and women that comprise the national aviation safety professionals bear the immense responsibility of ensuring the safety and efficiency of the national airspace system, while working short-staffed, often six days a week, and in facilities long overdue for modernization," he said.