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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate voted 98-0 to approve President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday, ending a span of nearly 19 months in which the agency was without a Senate-confirmed chief. Michael Whitaker is a former deputy FAA administrator and most recently served as chief operating officer of a Hyundai affiliate that is developing an air taxi. Whitaker's confirmation seemed assured last week, when members of the Senate Commerce Committee endorsed him unanimously. The nomination of Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington languished for months, then failed to get out of the Commerce Committee because of opposition from Republicans and independent Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The FAA has been without a Senate-confirmed administrator since March 2022, when Stephen Dickson stepped down midway through his five-year term.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Michael Whitaker, Whitaker, Whitaker's, Maria Cantwell, Phil Washington, Stephen Dickson Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Federal Aviation Administration, Hyundai, Senate, Denver International, FAA Locations: Arizona

☆ Senate Confirms Biden’s Nominee to Lead the F.A.A.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Mark Walker | More About Mark Walker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Michael G. Whitaker, a former Obama administration official, to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, filling a key vacancy that had persisted for more than 18 months. His swift bipartisan confirmation underscored the desire of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to install a permanent administrator atop the nation’s aviation regulator. Mr. Whitaker now faces the challenge of stabilizing an agency that has been in turmoil and providing the flying public with the confidence that the country’s air travel system is safe and reliable. A system outage grounded flights nationwide in January, and a series of near collisions at airports around the country have raised fears about whether the air travel system is being stressed to the point of danger. has been without a permanent leader since Stephen Dickson, a former Delta Air Lines executive and an appointee of President Donald J. Trump, stepped down last year.

Persons: Michael G, Whitaker, Obama, Biden’s, Stephen Dickson, Donald J, Trump, Polly Trottenberg Organizations: Federal Aviation Administration, Delta Air Lines

President Joe Biden will nominate a former Obama administration official to lead the Federal Aviation Administration after his first choice withdrew March after running into opposition from Republican senators. Whitaker's nomination had been expected for months, and Biden's announcement was praised by several industry and labor groups. The FAA, which regulates airline safety and manages the nation's airspace, has been run by back-to-back acting administrators since March 2022. The first, Billy Nolen, who left FAA in June to join another air taxi company, Archer Aviation, praised Whitaker's nomination in a recent interview. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, urged the Senate to confirm Biden’s pick quickly.

Persons: Joe Biden, Obama, Biden, Michael G, Whitaker, Phillip Washington, Kyrsten Sinema, Sen, Ted Cruz, Biden's, Mike, ” Cruz, Stephen Dickson, Donald Trump, Billy Nolen, “, ”, ” Nicholas Calio, Sara Nelson, “ Whitaker Organizations: Federal Aviation Administration, Republican, FAA, Hyundai, TWA, American Airlines, United Airlines, Denver International Airport, Senate, Washington, GOP, Archer Aviation, Airlines for, Association of Flight Locations: InterGlobe, India, United States, Denver, Ted Cruz of Texas, Airlines for America

☆ Top F.A.A. Official Says He Will Depart, Aggravating Leadership Void
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Mark Walker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — The acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, Billy Nolen, on Friday said he will depart this summer, worsening a leadership void at the agency. The departure of Mr. Nolen, a former pilot and airline industry group executive, was announced in a letter to F.A.A. The aviation regulator has been without permanent leadership since Stephen Dickson, a former Delta Air Lines executive who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump, stepped down a year ago. Last month, President Biden’s pick to lead the F.A.A., Phillip A. Washington, withdrew his name from consideration after a series of attacks from Republicans on his qualifications to hold the post. They had argued that Mr. Washington, the chief executive of Denver International Airport, lacked sufficient aviation experience, and raised questions about his connection to a corruption investigation in Los Angeles.

☆ Delta CEO called last week's FAA outage 'unacceptable' and said the agency needs more funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Air traffic was temporarily halted last week after an FAA system, known as Notice to Air Missions, crashed. Over 10,000 flights were delayed, but Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said he doesn't blame the agency. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is pushing to confirm President Joe Biden's pick for FAA Administrator. In a separate interview, American Airlines CEO Rob Isom told CNBC that there needs to be more investment in FAA technology. "With recent events, including airline troubles and last week's tech problem, this agency needs a leader confirmed by the Senate immediately."

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