US to move FAA headquarters staff, consolidate USDOT IT systems

By David Shepardson

Aug 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department said on Tuesday it will move Federal Aviation Administration headquarters staff in Washington out of the current building and consolidate agency IT and other systems, according to a memo seen by Reuters.

The FAA headquarters staff will be moved into the building housing the U.S. Transportation Department headquarters in Washington.

The department also said it will begin sunsetting legacy systems and embracing advanced technologies as it works to "streamline our processes, consolidate administrative functions, and modernize our infrastructure to better serve the American public."

The FAA and USDOT did not immediately comment or answer how many employees would be impacted. The Trump administration has been moving to consolidate office space and shrink the size of the federal workforce.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told employees the initiative would be called 1DoT to "enhance the Department of Transportation’s efficiency, accountability, and operational excellence."

Last month, USDOT told Congress it is losing just over 4,100 employees, dropping from nearly 57,000 to 52,862, with the FAA shedding 2,137 workers and falling from about 46,250 to 44,208.

Duffy last month said it was uncertain if the department would conduct layoffs.

"If we have bloat in certain areas we'll reduce force," Duffy said, adding the department would rehire back into some areas if needed. "We feel good where we're at right now, but we'll continue to assess where we're at with our staffing needs."