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The FAA’s announced plan is to require covered airlines to certify that pilot hiring is exclusively merit-based, using a new Operations Specification, A134. The formal scope of FAA Notice 8900.767 is narrower than the announcement’s reference to all U.S. carriers: it directs the process for certificate holders operating under Part 121. The notice describes a staged amendment and review process, not proof that every carrier has completed certification or that an investigation has occurred.
What the FAA’s merit-based hiring rule says
On February 13, 2026, the FAA issued Notice 8900.767, announcing a new mandatory Operations Specification titled “Merit-Based Pilot Hiring.” In the notice’s sample A134, a certificate holder “shall ensure pilot hiring is exclusively merit-based to fulfill its duty to provide the highest possible degree of safety in the public interest.” Read FAA Notice 8900.767 and its sample OpSpec A134.
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The FAA’s announcement describes the policy more broadly, saying U.S. carriers will have to certify that race- and sex-based hiring practices have ended. The notice itself identifies its process scope as carriers operating under 14 C.F.R. Part 121. These descriptions should not be conflated: the press announcement states the FAA’s broader public position, while the notice sets out the formal process and scope for A134. FAA announcement, February 13, 2026.
What “merit-based” means in the FAA’s materials
The FAA describes relevant merit as identifying candidates whose specific experience and technical aptitude match the complexities of an operator’s environment. Its notice connects pilot knowledge and proficiency with safety, and says applicants entering training with a verified baseline of technical knowledge, cognitive skills, qualifications, and experience can improve training effectiveness. It also says merit-based hiring can provide proactive inputs to a carrier’s safety management system. These are the FAA’s stated rationale, not quantified evidence that the policy has improved safety.
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Neither the sample specification nor the notice establishes a universal point system, single score, or minimum experience threshold. A carrier’s hiring criteria therefore should not be described as a specific FAA-mandated numerical formula on the basis of these materials.
How the FAA plans to apply OpSpec A134
- Inspector notification: Principal operations inspectors overseeing Part 121 carriers are directed to send a notification letter within two business days of the notice’s publication.
- Carrier response: A carrier may submit written information, views, and arguments within seven days of receiving the letter.
- FAA disposition: After considering submitted material, the FAA tells the carrier whether the proposed amendment is adopted, partially adopted, or withdrawn.
- Issuance and effective date: If adopted, the FAA issues A134 no later than 30 days after the disposition step. The sample carrier letter says the specification takes effect 30 days after the carrier receives notification of adoption.
The notice establishes an amendment process with an opportunity for carriers to submit material; it is not simply a published penalty schedule. The FAA announcement says failure to certify that the described race- and sex-based practices have ended will subject airlines to federal investigation. That is the announced consequence, not evidence that an investigation has already occurred. The reviewed materials do not set out a separate monetary penalty schedule.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Legal authority and the FAA’s safety rationale
Notice 8900.767 cites 49 U.S.C. § 44701(b) and (d) as authority for FAA minimum safety standards for air carriers, and 14 C.F.R. §§ 119.49(a)(14), 119.49(b)(14), and 119.51 as the provisions for issuing A134. The notice says the statute requires consideration of an air carrier’s duty to provide service with the highest possible degree of safety in the public interest. This is the FAA’s stated legal basis, not a court ruling. The notice’s regulatory discussion appears on pages 1–2 of the FAA notice PDF.
What is known about implementation
The FAA notice page listed Notice 8900.767 as active when checked on October 5, 2026; the PDF gives a cancellation date of February 13, 2027. That status supports describing the notice as current on that date, but does not establish carrier-by-carrier completion. The materials establish the announced plan and process, not universal implementation, completed certifications, investigations, fines, or adjudicated discrimination findings. Check the FAA notice status page.
The announcement refers to allegations, not a finding that a particular carrier violated the law. Nor does A134 establish that all diversity, equity, and inclusion activity across aviation has ended: the stated requirement concerns pilot hiring.
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