The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is taking steps to fire two air traffic controllers who decided to leave their shifts early before an Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport in March, according to people familiar with the matter.
The moves are consistent with a broader campaign by the Trump administration to crack down on supervisors who leave shifts early or abuse sick leave, said the people, who asked to remain anonymous because the information is not public.
“The FAA is committed to holding employees accountable, and we will not compromise the safety or efficiency of the national airspace system,” the agency said in an email statement.
At the same time, the regulatory body said it is working to supply the workforce it controls through recruitment.
So-called early pay is a long-standing informal practice where supervisors give probationers permission to leave early during slow periods, while still giving them their full wages.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Thursday that the agency was conducting a broader review of alleged time card fraud and was moving to fire monitors.
