Mike Whitaker announced his pending resignation in a message to employees of the FAA, which regulates airlines and aircraft manufacturers and manages the nation’s airspace.
Since then, the challenges confronting Whitaker have included a surge in close calls between planes, a need for stricter oversight of Boeing.
Whitaker served as deputy FAA administrator during the Obama administration, and later as an executive for an air taxi company.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who led the opposition to Biden’s first pick to lead FAA, said the unanimous confirmation vote for Whitaker was a “testament to his experience, his judgement and his apolitical nature.
Musk, who Trump has named to lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, has accused the FAA of being overly bureaucratic.
In order to make room for President-elect Donald Trump to appoint his own successor to the position, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, who has spearheaded a stricter enforcement strategy against Boeing since a panel blew off a jetliner in January, announced Thursday that he will step down next month.
In a letter to FAA staff, Mike Whitaker announced his impending resignation. The FAA oversees the country’s airspace and regulates airlines and aircraft manufacturers. October 2023 saw him take over as the agency’s administrator.
Since then, Whitaker’s problems have included an increase in near-misses between aircraft and the requirement for more stringent Boeing oversight. A lack of air traffic controllers and outdated equipment during a period of increased consumer demand for air travel.
In the message to staff, Whitaker stated, “Your dedication to the safety of the flying public is the reason why the United States has the safest and most complex airspace in the world.”. I wanted to personally inform you that my tenure will end on January 20, 2025, as this has been the most rewarding and demanding position of my career. “”.
After the Senate, which is usually split along partisan lines, confirmed President Joe Biden’s choice of Whitaker last year by a vote of 98-0, Whitaker assumed leadership of the FAA. After nearly 19 months without a Senate-confirmed head, a former Biden nominee retracted in response to Republican resistance.
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FAA administrators, whose position has long been perceived as impartial, typically hold their positions for five years, but this hasn’t been the case lately. Stephen Dickson, Whitaker’s predecessor, likewise resigned before serving out his term.
Before becoming an executive for an air taxi company, Whitaker was the Obama administration’s deputy FAA administrator.
During an Alaska Airlines flight over Oregon, a Boeing 737 Max lost a door-plug panel less than three months into his tenure as FAA chief, raising new safety concerns about both the aircraft and the airline. Similar models were grounded by Whitaker, who also demanded that Boeing present a plan to enhance manufacturing safety and quality.
“Too hands-off — too focused on paperwork audits and not focused enough on inspections,” Whitaker said, was the FAA’s approach to overseeing Boeing. “”.
Since the door-plug blowout in January, the FAA has doubled its enforcement cases against Boeing, the agency announced in August.
Whitaker was hailed by senators from both parties Thursday prior to a hearing on the FAA’s air traffic control system, which has been beset by outdated equipment and a controller shortage. The failure of a computer system that provides pilots with safety information in January 2023 resulted in thousands of delays and over 1,300 flight cancellations in a single day.
Sen. The unanimous confirmation vote for Whitaker, according to Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who spearheaded the opposition to Biden’s first choice to head the FAA, was a “testament to his experience, his judgement, and his apolitical nature.”. He has skillfully guided the organization through a trying time. “.”.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. Whitaker’s oversight of Boeing has been crucial, according to the head of the Senate aviation subcommittee. “His service has made our aviation system safer,” she said.
Sen. Cantwell, Maria, D-Wash. said that the person Trump appoints to succeed Whitaker “needs to be ready on day one to continue the job of restoring the FAA’s safety culture and providing real oversight of the aviation sector.” The Senate Commerce Committee was the committee’s chair. “”.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s opinions, which have been in conflict with the FAA for slowing the Starship mega rocket created by the billionaire’s SpaceX company, could influence Trump’s decision. The FAA is too bureaucratic, according to Musk, who Trump appointed to head a new “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE.
