Air Travel Safety Under Scrutiny Amid Whistleblower Warnings and Near Tragedies
We’re hearing shocking details right now that raise serious concerns about the safety of air travel. An air traffic controller at Newark Liberty International Airport is reportedly warning that the airport is “not safe” for travelers currently and advising the public to “avoid New York at all costs”. This incredible statement was reportedly made unsolicited to an NBC News correspondent.
This comes as Newark, the second busiest airport in the NYC area serving over 24 million passengers, has been drowning in delays and cancellations. We’ve seen inbound flights forced to circle for over two hours waiting for clearance to land. United Airlines, a major hub at Newark, has even cancelled 35 round trips daily in response to the situation. A key reason cited by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the problems is a shortage of air traffic controllers, compounded by runway construction. Alarming reports indicate Newark has lost 20% of its staff in just the last few weeks.
What’s happening with this staffing shortage is, for us, 100% connected to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. The FAA is currently facing a class action lawsuit alleging its hiring practices have prioritized DEI over merit, leading to the rejection of over 1,000 qualified air traffic controller candidates. The lawsuit claims the FAA used a “biographical assessment tool” or personality test designed to favor candidates without aviation experience to meet DEI goals. Critics argue this approach has worsened the national shortage, estimated at around 3,800 positions below necessary levels. An attorney leading the lawsuit claims 95% of the previously qualified candidates he represented were screened out by this test. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has also reportedly blamed DEI policies for shifting the department’s focus away from safety and contributing to staffing shortages. We feel it’s clear that turning away potentially 1,000 qualified people simply for being white, as alleged in the lawsuit, directly impacts the staffing levels.
Compounding these concerns, another terrifying incident just occurred. An Army Blackhawk helicopter recently caused two near misses with commercial airliners at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Authorities say the pilot took a “scenic route” to the Pentagon instead of proceeding directly to the airport. The helicopter came dangerously close to two planes that were on final approach, less than two miles from the runway. At one point, it was reportedly between 200 and 2,100 feet from one jet and 400 and 2,600 feet from the other. Air traffic controllers were forced to instruct the commercial flights to perform “go-arounds,” breaking off their landings at the last second to circle back. While go-arounds happen for various reasons, in this case, it was clearly to avoid tragedy.
What makes this incident particularly alarming is that it happened just 90 days after a tragic mid-air collision involving the same kind of Army chopper from the exact same unit at the same airport. That previous crash tragically killed 67 people. Officials and politicians, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, have reportedly blasted the Army for this latest incident, calling it unacceptable.
Troublingly, during the recent close call, air traffic controllers temporarily lost the Blackhawk’s tracking position in real time on their radar screens. We understand this is exactly what happened in the last fatal Blackhawk incident. Despite using ADSB technology, the helicopter’s radar track reportedly “inadvertently floated and jumped to a different location” after being unresponsive for a few seconds. These incidents have been categorized as a “loss of separation,” meaning a breach of the minimum safe distance between aircraft. We calculate that at typical flying speeds, 200 feet can be covered in just a second, far less time than any pilot has to react.
Given the whistleblower warning, the significant delays and staffing issues at major airports, the lawsuits alleging discriminatory hiring practices, and these incredibly close calls with military aircraft, we feel air travel right now has never been more dangerous. We will continue to follow these developments closely.
