The Air Line Pilots Association has defended its pilot members after the Trump administration issued a new mandate to “purge DEI from our skies”.
On February 13, 2026, the US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ordered a new mandatory ‘Operations Specification’, requiring all commercial airlines to formally commit to merit-based hiring for pilots.
Since US President Donald Trump returned to power in January 2025, his administration has taken a combative approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) framework, which is designed to promote fair treatment of all, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.
With the new mandate in place, US airlines will be required to certify that any DEI approach to hiring is terminated with a failure to do so warranting federal investigation.
“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 most qualified man or woman for the job. Safety drives everything we do, and this commonsense measure will increase transparency between passengers and airlines,” said Duffy.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford added: “At the FAA, the safety of passengers is our number one priority. 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.”
The FAA said that while the agency had “dismantled DEI offices and contracts, and revised absurd Biden-Buttigieg era directives that wasted time renaming cockpits to flight decks, allegations of airlines hiring based on race and sex remain”.
Following the Trump administration announcement, Captain Jason Ambrosi, President of the Air Line Pilots Association, issued a statement defending the industry’s safety record.
“All ALPA pilots are trained and evaluated to the same uncompromising standard regardless of race, gender, or background. A pilot’s identity has no bearing on their ability to safely operate an aircraft. What matters is training, experience, and qualification — and on that front, there are no shortcuts and no compromises,” said Captain Ambrosi.
He added: “At ALPA, our work to advance aviation safety never stops, and as always, ALPA airline pilots remain ready to safely transport passengers and cargo to their destinations. Safety is, and always will be, our number one priority.”