The new secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, appeared to walk back an enticement to retire, saying F.A.A. safety workers were exempt from the offer for federal workers.

The Trump administration said on Sunday that federal employees involved in public safety positions, such as air traffic controllers, are exempt from a financial incentive to quit government jobs.

Air traffic controllers are exempt from a buyout offer President Trump’s administration introduced last week to nearly 2 million federal workers, including controllers. The clarification follows two deadly plane crashes,

The air traffic controllers union had asked for clarification on whether members were eligible for the federal buyout and only received confirmation from a report on CNN.

The worst aerial disaster in the past decade sent shockwaves through the aviation community, including a former Air Traffic Controller in Lancaster County.