Overview
- FAA Notice N 8900.767 establishes OpSpec A134, requiring all Part 121 passenger and cargo carriers to attest that pilot hiring is based exclusively on experience and aptitude.
- Principal Operations Inspectors must notify carriers within two business days, airlines have seven days to submit written responses, and the FAA will issue the specification within 30 days after its disposition.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the action addresses allegations of hiring by race or sex and requires carriers to certify those practices are ended or face potential investigation.
- Airlines for America said member carriers prioritize safety and comply with qualifications, training, and licensing rules, while the Air Line Pilots Association emphasized that pilots are held to the same uncompromising standards regardless of identity.
- The directive draws on FAA safety authority and aligns with the administration’s rollback of DEI programs, yet reporting notes the agency has not presented evidence of safety-compromising hiring practices.