Under the new mandate, all U.S. carriers must certify that the practice of airlines hiring based on race and sex has ended or face a federal investigation.
"When families board their aircraft, they should fly with confidence knowing the pilot behind the controls is the best of the best," DOT Secretary Sean P. Duffy said. "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." DOT said that even though the FAA has raised performance standards while eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) based positions within the agency and terminating related contracts, "allegations of airlines hiring based on race and sex remain."