Elon Musk is pleading with retired air traffic controllers to return to work—despite his DOGE project to slash the number of federal workers. The billionaire admitted there is a “shortage” of the vital workers in an intervention certain to fuel concerns about air safety after a string of incidents including last month’s D.

Elon Musk called Thursday for retired air traffic controllers to consider returning to work amid staffing shortages — but a federal law means doing so isn't so simple. The big picture: Hiring shortages have long plagued air traffic controllers in already stressful roles overseeing critical airspace,