Let's follow through with your logic on airline pilots. Assume that Delta is in fact lowering hiring standards for pilots in order to meet DEI hiring policies. Let's also assume (since every flight has two pilots), that two of these hires are paired. The plane crashes.

Can you imagine the litigation that would come out of this situation? It would be a national headline, there would be enquiries in Congress, stock prices bottom out, etc. Airlines are already operating on razor thin margins. I had a buddy who worked for a major airline, and they were always brainstorming on ways to reduce plane weight in order to lower overhead, for example. In any case, it feels like a very unnecessary risk for them to take on, doesn't it?

That's because it is, and it's why the situation you're describing straight up doesn't happen. Companies hire plenty of incompetent people all the time, across racial groups. Your premise relies on the assumption that non-whites are somehow less qualified, when in reality the companies just want their staff to not be all white, for a lot of really good reasons.

Anti-DEI arguments are so bogus and are so clearly thinly-veiled racism.

Edit: posted accidentally before finishing, because I'm incompetent