The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is seeking to terminate two air traffic controllers at New York's LaGuardia Airport after determining they left their posts early on the night an Air Canada aircraft collided with a fire truck on March 22, killing both pilots, according to Reuters, which cited sources familiar with the matter.

The two employees were scheduled to be on duty at the time of the crash but had already left the facility, officials told Reuters. The accident has intensified scrutiny of long-standing staffing shortages and shift practices within the U.S. air traffic control system, with investigators examining whether the facility was adequately staffed when the collision occurred.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said it is in active discussions with FAA leadership regarding the allegations but declined to elaborate further. The FAA, in a statement, said it remains committed to holding employees accountable and would not compromise the safety or efficiency of the national airspace system.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday that the vast majority of controllers perform their jobs responsibly, but added that a small number who take advantage of the system and burden their colleagues cannot be tolerated. He said the department would act to prevent unlawful practices from disrupting air travelers and hold those responsible accountable.

Several controllers interviewed by Reuters said the airspace was unusually busy that night and that, under normal circumstances, additional controllers would have been called in or asked to stay past their scheduled shifts to handle the higher volume of flights.

One controller said the FAA has been pushing nationally to stop employees from leaving during end-of-shift breaks and not returning. Another described the practice of departing before a shift officially ends — once assigned duties are completed — as an "early shove," a term used within the industry. A third controller said allowing staff to leave shortly before their scheduled end times has long been an informal but common practice at many facilities.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the FAA's planned dismissals.

Source: Reuters