Important context:
- January 20: FAA director fired
- January 21: Air Traffic Controller hiring frozen
- January 22: Aviation Safety Advisory Committee disbanded
- January 28: Buyout/retirement demand sent to existing employees
- January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years
This specific tower was not short on staff, and again, ATC doesn’t just start issuing faulty clearances when they’re short staffed.
Use your brain.
New York Times reported that “Staffing Was ‘Not Normal’ at Reagan Airport Tower, According to F.A.A. Report”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/business/air-traffic-control-staffing-plane-crash.html