Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has ordered U.S. airlines to implement merit-based hiring processes for pilots, requiring each carrier to certify that selected candidates are chosen solely on the basis of experience and aptitude. Failure to comply could invite federal investigation.
It is, on its face, a bureaucratic adjustment — an “Operations Specification.”
But it is also a cultural marker.
“When families board their aircraft, they should fly with confidence knowing the pilot behind the controls is the best of the best. The American people don’t care what their pilot looks like or their gender — they just care that they are the most qualified man or woman for the job,” Duffy said in a statement.
“Safety drives everything we do, and this commonsense measure will increase transparency between passengers and airlines.”
Airlines for America, the industry’s principal lobbying group, offered a careful endorsement.
“A4A carriers comply with all federal regulations and laws, including those related to qualifications, training, and licensing,” a representative said.
The order comes as the Department of Transportation rolls back diversity, equity, and inclusion programs advanced under Duffy’s predecessor, Pete Buttigieg.
The White House Office of Management and Budget has also directed the DOT to cut more than $943 million in grants deemed wasteful, including funding for electric-vehicle charging infrastructure in California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota.
The department says the hiring directive flows from President Trump’s executive orders to end discrimination and restore merit-based opportunity.
At the Federal Aviation Administration, Administrator Bryan Bedford echoed the theme.
“At the FAA, the safety of passengers is our number one priority,” he said. “It is a bare minimum expectation for airlines to hire the most qualified individual when making someone responsible for hundreds of lives at a time.”
“Someone’s race, sex, or creed has nothing to do with their ability to fly and land aircraft safely,” Bedford added.
Bedford also pointed to $12.5 billion provided in Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” to modernize the nation’s aging air traffic control system. According to the department, 40% of copper wiring has already been replaced, and 612 new radar systems are expected by June 2028.
Exclusive | Transportation chief Duffy mandates merit-based hiring of US airline pilots https://t.co/l0JIVM7elX pic.twitter.com/2J52ipcS3g
— New York Post (@nypost) February 13, 2026
