FAA Orders Merit-Based Hiring at Airlines

Carriers could face a federal investigation if they do not comply.

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 01:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Flight deck of an Airbus aircraft [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has mandated that commercial airlines adopt "merit-based hiring" for pilots, exclusively based on experience and technical aptitude, effective 30 days from February 13.
This directive is presented as a reversal of Biden-era policies, aimed at dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, citing "allegations" of airlines hiring based on race and sex.
Airlines must certify their compliance with this new operation specification or face federal investigation.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) affirmed that all pilots are trained and qualified to the same uncompromising standards regardless of background, and the FAA provided no evidence for the alleged non-merit-based hiring practices.

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In what it framed as a reversal of Biden-era policies, the FAA on Friday said it will require commercial airlines to commit to “merit-based hiring” for pilots.

The directive comes in the form of an “operations specification.” To comply, Part 121 carriers must certify that their hiring process for pilots is exclusively based on merit, as demonstrated by experience, technical aptitude, and other factors. The operations specification takes effect 30 days from February 13.