How Trump’s Return to the White House Will Reshape Aviation in America

Flying in the U.S. on January 21, 2025, was like any other day. Check-in and bag drop were unremarkable; TSA agents did their job efficiently; and flights, at least those unaffected by a historic snowstorm sweeping the south, were mostly on time.

It was a testament to the peaceful transition of power from President Joseph Biden to Donald Trump.

Photo: Courtesy of Alan Schein / Getty Images

That is where the similarities stopped. In his second term, President Trump already seeks to make sweeping changes to the federal government and regulations—a flurry of first-day executive orders indicated as much. Many aviation industry experts anticipate a lighter touch approach with fewer rules, particularly those protecting consumers, under the new administration.

Deregulation and Efficiency Overhaul

“In aviation, safety will remain the top priority,” Secretary of Transportation nominee Sean Duffy said at his Senate confirmation hearing on January 15. “America needs more air traffic controllers… We must modernize our systems with cutting-edge technology. I will work with Congress and the [Federal Aviation Administration] to restore global confidence in Boeing and to ensure our skies are safe.”

Duffy is right. The U.S. does need more air traffic controllers.

A staffing shortage prompted the FAA in 2024 to suspend certain flight rules at New York JFK and LaGuardia, Newark, and Washington Reagan airports, allowing airlines to reduce their schedules by up to 10 percent through this October. Meanwhile, scrutiny of Boeing and the quality of its planes remains high since a door-plug blew off of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX in January 2024.

Photo: New York-LaGuardia Airport. Courtesy of Mohit Kumar / Unsplash

The question is whether Duffy can follow through under the competing goals outlined by Trump himself.

The new president wants to invest in and improve things like air traffic control while dramatically reshaping the federal government and cutting staff and budgets with input from the new advisory body, the Department of Government Efficiency, helmed by billionaire Elon Musk.

Expanding the ranks of air traffic controllers and hiring safety inspectors to restore confidence in Boeing requires more money and people.

Staffing Crisis and Push for Privatization

The new administration is also expected to renew calls to privatize the FAA’s air traffic control organization. Trump proposed this in his first term, but it did not come to pass.

Photo: Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta International Airport / Courtesy of PANTHER MEDIA GMBH/Alamy Stock

Broadly, such a move would create a private, not-for-profit air traffic control manager likely funded by user fees, similar to Nav Canada north of the border. The biggest benefit of such a change would be to remove the air traffic control budget from the whims of Congress—and the federal government—that, many believe, could speed up investment in modern air traffic control technology.

Trump, however, is full of contradictions. His newly sworn-in Deputy FAA Administrator, Chris Rocheleau, was previously the chief operating officer of the National Business Aviation Association; the organization has long opposed air traffic control privatization.

Consumer Protections and Airline Regulations on the Chopping Block

Anita Mosner, a partner of the law firm Holland & Knight, wrote in January that she expects the new Trump administration to freeze or withdraw pending Biden administration rules, like one that would bar airlines from charging fees to families to sit together. A 2024 rule that requires airlines to disclose potential ancillary fees could also face the ax.

Mosner also expects the new administration to take a much lighter regulatory approach than its predecessor. That would mean fewer penalties for airlines unless they expressly violate a “statute or regulation,” as well as a laissez-faire approach to antitrust concerning proposed mergers and partnerships.

Photo: Courtesy of Denver International Airport.

The Biden administration was tough on both fronts. It levied some of the highest penalties against airlines in federal history and took a harsh regulatory line against industry consolidation.

The administration successfully sued to end a partnership between American Airlines and JetBlue in the northeastern U.S., the so-called Northeast Alliance, and blocked the proposed merger of JetBlue and Spirit.

There is already discussion in industry circles of a potential renewed partnership between American and JetBlue; a pact would almost certainly face less scrutiny under Trump than it did under Biden.

Will Trump Fast-Track the Future of Flight?

One area that could flourish under Trump is the emerging advanced air mobility sector. In his confirmation hearing remarks, Duffy said the U.S. was “in a global race to out-innovate the rest of the world” regarding the sector. That could mean electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft could begin plying the skies of major metropolitan areas sooner rather than later, connecting distant suburbs to major airports quietly and quickly.

Photo: Courtesy of Eve Air Mobility

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and others all have partnerships with some of the leading eVTOL developers, including Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, with plans to introduce the craft at major hub airports before the decade is out.