Critics have raised concerns about the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) recent diversity and inclusion hiring initiative.
The initiative is aimed at recruiting individuals with disabilities, including those with severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric disorders, and other physical conditions.
The FAA defines targeted disabilities as those identified by the federal government for special emphasis in recruitment and hiring.
The targeted disabilities are:
- Hearing (total deafness in both ears)
- Vision (Blind)
- Missing Extremities
- Partial Paralysis
- Complete Paralysis, Epilepsy
- Severe intellectual disability
- Psychiatric disability
- Dwarfism
This initiative is part of the Department of Transportation, which is overseen by Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The FAA, a crucial government agency responsible for regulating civil aviation, has around 45,000 employees as reported by FOX News.
The timing of this initiative is significant, especially considering the recent scrutiny faced by the FAA and the airline industry after an incident involving a malfunctioning Boeing 737 Max 9 during an Alaska Airlines flight.
During the flight at an altitude of 16,000 feet, a deactivated emergency door that was being used as a regular cabin window blew out.
There were six crew members and 171 passengers on board.
A recording of the female pilot frantically calling air traffic control after the window blew out was discovered by an X/Twitter user. The audio is quite unsettling.
I found the @liveatc recording of #ASA1282 declaring an emergency with Seattle Center around 5:12pm PT. Aircraft would have been ~12,000 ft and climbing. "Uhhhh we'd like to get down." pic.twitter.com/P8xxJ5nsbj
— Brian McGuigan (@bricaul) January 6, 2024
The support for implementing a “Neo-Marxist strategy” of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has been expressed by the CFO of Alaska Airlines as well.
The CFO of @AlaskaAir Airlines is dedicated to implementing the Neo-Marxist strategy of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI):
"Alaska’s values — own safety, do the right thing and be kind-hearted — are the foundation of who we are and what drives us to be the airline people… pic.twitter.com/8ou296qiPT
— Michael O'Fallon – Sovereign Nations (@SovMichael) January 15, 2024
In case you’re wondering what @Alaskaair has been focusing on, it’s diversity & inclusion, making their planes gay, and having drag queen flight attendants.
If you’re on an Alaska plane, just pray their diversity hires don’t screw up and they’re putting this same energy into… pic.twitter.com/xg41yL9UYQ
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 11, 2024
Elon Musk and other prominent figures have expressed their opinions on the matter, highlighting a possible conflict between DEI initiatives and airline safety.
It will take an airplane crashing and killing hundreds of people for them to change this crazy policy of DIE
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 9, 2024
In another post, Musk wrote, “Do you want to fly in an airplane where they prioritized DEI hiring over your safety? That is actually happening.”
Do you want to fly in an airplane where they prioritized DEI hiring over your safety? That is actually happening. https://t.co/FcTyzZD0uW
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 10, 2024
He added, “People will die due to DEI.”
People will die due to DEIhttps://t.co/RXCv6M4gGU
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 10, 2024