EGG HARBOR, NJ — President Trump issued an executive directive Tuesday ordering the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring practices and return to strict merit-based employment standards. The decision, announced in a statement, aims to prioritize “excellence, competency, and qualification” in FAA operations.
New Jersey is home to the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center in Egg Harbor Township.
The FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City (Egg Harbor), New Jersey, is the nation’s premier federal aviation laboratory for advancing the United States National Airspace System (NAS) and sustaining its continued safe and efficient operations, according to the FAA.
The President’s order comes amid concerns over hiring practices implemented under the prior administration, which he claims prioritized diversity over essential job qualifications. “Illegal and discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring… harms all Americans, who deserve to fly with confidence,” the statement reads.
In another executive order, Trump ordered all DEI related employees to cease working at 5pm today. It is unknown how many of those positions exist at the New Jersey facility.
The President also criticized recruitment initiatives that sought to hire individuals with disabilities or specific demographic backgrounds, alleging that such efforts risked undermining the FAA’s critical safety mission. The FAA oversees more than 45,000 daily flights and the safety of 2.9 million airline passengers, making it “imperative that they maintain a commitment to excellence and efficiency,” according to the directive.
Under the executive order, the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administrator are instructed to immediately rescind all DEI initiatives and review the performance of employees in critical safety positions. Any personnel deemed unable to meet the highest standards of capability will be replaced.
The directive underscores the administration’s focus on restoring what it describes as “non-discriminatory, merit-based hiring” in federal aviation safety operations.