Senate confirms first FAA administrator in 18 months

The Senate voted 98-0 to confirm Michael Whitaker, a career aviation executive, to the role of administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration after the positon had been vacant since March 2022.

He becomes the first person appointed to lead the administration since Steve Dickson, the Trump-appointed aviation executive, resigned in March 2022. Polly Trottenberg, deputy transportation secretary, has been serving as the agency’s acting administrator but vacated the post this week due to a federal law limiting how long she can lead on an acting basis.

The appointment also comes as a welcome respite from the mess Congress has been in the last few weeks as Republicans look to confirm someone to lead them as House Speaker. 

“The aviation industry continues to navigate challenges presented by mounting infrastructure needs and important policy priorities, like FAA reauthorization,” said Kevin Burke, president and chief executive officer of Airports Council International – North America. “As we face these headwinds, the need for permanent leadership at FAA is essential, and ACI-NA is confident that Michael Whitaker is up for the challenge. We congratulate him on his confirmation to be the next FAA Administrator. I look forward to our continued partnership with FAA as we work together to ensure a safe, secure and efficient air travel experience.”

Whitaker was most recently the chief operating officer of Supernal, a company developing electric air taxis and owned by Hyundai Motor Group, but he has worked closely with the FAA before, having served from 2013 to 2016 as the deputy administrator and chief NextGen officer.

He has also spent considerable time  in various executive roles in the aviation industry throughout his career at Trans World Airlines, United Airlines, InterGlobe Enterprises as well as Hyundai Urban Air Mobility, and serves on the board of the Flight Safety Foundation.

Whitaker is also a lawyer and holds a juris doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

“I am really pleased the Senate took action to confirm Mike and look forward to working with him to help pilots and to move GA forward,” Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association president Mark Baker said. “He’s a capable leader, knows aviation, knows the agency, and he’s a private pilot.”

His appointment comes at a critical time for the FAA and for the aviation industry generally. FAA reauthorization is high on the Congressional priorities list as the recent continuing resolution included a three-month reauthorization of the FAA. Whitaker will need to have another reauthorization approved by Congress by Dec. 30.

“Whitaker’s overwhelming confirmation demonstrates the Senate’s commitment to getting aviation right,” Sen. Maria Cantwell, chairwoman of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation said in a statement. “There is a lot to do on FAA staffing, technology upgrades and safety improvements, and Whitaker is the right person to lead it.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said last month that the U.S. is wrapping up its busiest air travel period on record and U.S. airports collectively face $151 billion in capital needs over the next five years, Airport Council International’s 2023 U.S. Airport Infrastructure Needs Report said.

“We want to congratulate Michael Whitaker on being confirmed as the next Administrator of the FAA,” Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves, R-Mo., and Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves, R-La., said in a joint statement. “This is a critical time for aviation, and the FAA has been without an Administrator for far too long. Mr. Whitaker’s confirmation will provide much needed stability and certainty for the agency and the broader aviation industry as a whole.”

“Having confirmed an FAA Administrator, we hope that the Senate will now return its focus to the critical work of passing a long-term FAA reauthorization bill. In July, the House overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan five-year FAA bill to improve the National Airspace System’s efficiency, safety, and airport infrastructure. It’s time for the Senate to follow suit,” they wrote. “We look forward to working with Administrator Whitaker and our colleagues in the House and Senate to get a comprehensive reauthorization bill signed into law as soon as possible and to helping ensure the United States remains the undisputed global leader in aerospace.”