President Joe Biden will nominate a former Obama administration official to lead the Federal Aviation Administration after his first choice withdrew in the face of Republican opposition nearly six months ago.
The FAA, which regulates airline safety and manages the nation's airspace, has been run by back-to-back acting administrators since March 2022.
Whitaker was deputy FAA administrator – a job that does not require Senate approval – from 2013 to 2016.
Last year, Biden nominated Denver International Airport CEO Phillip Washington, but he withdrew in March after his nomination stalled in the Senate Commerce Committee.
Republicans and independent Kyrsten Sinema argued that Washington lacked adequate aviation experience — his background is mostly in city transit systems, having held the Denver airport job only since mid-2021.
Persons:
Michael G, Whitaker, Joe Biden, Obama, Biden, Phillip Washington, Kyrsten Sinema
Organizations:
UAL Corp, Transportation, Aviation, United, European, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Hyundai, TWA, American Airlines, United Airlines, Denver International Airport, Senate, Washington
Locations:
United States, Washington ,, InterGlobe, India, Denver