FAA furloughs safety inspectors

The Federal Aviation Administration is furloughing 3,000 aviation safety inspectors as part of the US government shutdown. The news has outraged industry groups and unions. Mike Perrone president for the union, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, said he is “outraged that the FAA would consider aviation safety inspectors as playing anything but a pivotal role in protecting the safety of the American public. Furloughing this critical workforce is neither in the best interest of the economy nor the oversight of this country’s aviation system.” Employees critical to public safety are generally exempt from the furloughs.