I don't think any trained ATC were fired in that round. However we all saw where this was headed ....

’new hires’ include people who are newly promoted but actually can have many years of experience.

Lastly — in a skilled job like that, you are likely to put most experienced people in high traffic, more difficult regions and time slots, but newer staff can fill a seat* (*”developmental controller” for as little as 1 year) during off-peak hours or regions with lighter traffic. If you DON’T have that, then your more experienced people are probably working longer hours, deferring vacations, getting burned out. It’s already such a high stress job.

But like other high-stress important jobs, our country chooses to skimp, privatize, discount, demean…

Back in the late 1970s, my high school counselor showed me an Occupational Handbook. Back then, an EMT was a highly respected well paid job; so was Air Traffic Control.

Now, as a society, there is no room for that; it’s “All Hail, the Tech Billionaires!” And maybe a few celebrities, sports stars…

Department of Government Efficiency. Trouble is those who began and run this policy believe no government is best, so the efficiency is from their perspective.