The U.S. Senate today confirmed President Biden’s pick for a brand new FAA Administrator, Mike Whitaker, in a unanimous bipartisan vote of 98-0.
In welcome news for the aviation industry, Mike Whitaker has been confirmed as the subsequent FAA Administrator. After a unanimous vote to invoke cloture (moving on to a vote, without debate) Whitaker was confirmed. Whitaker will replace acting administrator Polly Trottenberg, whose tenure will expire tomorrow, October 25. It has been 18 months because the last confirmed FAA Administrator, Steve Dickson, left the post mid-way through his appointment.
Mike Whitaker was formerly the Deputy Administrator of the FAA, appointed by President Obama in 2013 and serving until 2016. He was most recently the Cheif Business Officer for Supernal, a Hyundai company developing an eVTOL advanced air mobility vehicle.
Prior to his work on the FAA, Whitaker served as an attorney for TWA and as SVP of Alliances, International and Regulatory Affairs at United Airlines. He was then Group CEO at InterGlobe, a big international travel conglomerate. Whitaker holds a personal pilot certificate.
While on the FAA, Whitaker was accountable for NextGen, a wide range of programs designed to update national aviation systems. The Senate Commerce, Science and Science and Transportation Committee held a hearing on Whitaker’s nomination Wednesday, October 4. At that hearing, Senator Maria Cantwell highlighted Mr. Whitaker’s proven experience taking up serious challenges at FAA, including NextGen implementation. “I believe you were at first of a really big transformation. And yet, we now have more transformation to do. So, I believe you’re the guy with the experience of that NextGen implementation that provides you the depth and breadth of how big a challenge could be,” she said.
Through the hearing, Whitaker was asked how he would construct a resilient safety culture on the FAA. “[We] need to construct a powerful leadership team, be certain that we now have the best people in the best positions, and be certain that they’re everlasting. And we want a powerful bench.” said Whitaker. “Safety culture doesn’t create itself… We have now to carry the road on pressure to cut back standards and be certain that we’re keeping the system as protected as possible.”
Republican Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a rating member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation, was the primary to issue a press release:
“After greater than 550 days with no everlasting leader on the FAA, confirming Mr. Whitaker to be administrator is a welcome and significant step towards resolving persistent challenges on the FAA,” said Sen. Moran. “I congratulate Mr. Whitaker on his confirmation, and I sit up for working with Mr. Whitaker to make sure the FAA has the resources needed to advertise safety and innovation inside the nation’s airspace system.”
The nomination of an extended term FAA Administrator was also applauded by stakeholders within the drone industry. The Business Drone Alliance, immediately issued a press release in support of Whitaker’s confirmation. “The Business Drone Alliance congratulates Michael Whitaker on his bipartisan confirmation by the U.S. Senate as FAA Administrator. The dedicated professionals on the FAA and your complete aviation industry deserve the continuity and consistency that a Senate-confirmed leader provides,” says Lisa Ellman, Executive Director. “We sit up for working with Mr. Whitaker to handle long-overdue advanced aviation regulatory matters, corresponding to enabling beyond visual line of sight drone operations. Only then can the U.S. fully realize the numerous societal advantages of economic drones and regain its position as a worldwide leader in advanced aviation.”
The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, AUVSI, also voiced their support of the confirmation, with a press release from President and CEO Brian Wynne. “The U.S. has long been the worldwide leader in aviation—but in recent times, the segment where the U.S. has not led is in the mixing of recent entrants into the national airspace system,” stated Wynne. “AUVSI is promoting domestic aviation innovation to boost U.S. aviation leadership and convey significant advantages to American communities. We sit up for working with Administrator Whitaker and the FAA to support a twenty first century regulatory framework that permits routine, scalable and secure drone and Advanced Air Mobility operations.”
The position of FAA Administrator is a 5 yr appointment.
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