Senate Confirms Michael Whitaker to Top Agency Job

Airline and aviation industry stakeholders have issued statements praising the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Michael Whitaker to the office of permanent FAA Administrator.

Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) president Captain Jason Ambrosi set forth: “On behalf of the more than 75,000 pilots of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, I’d like to congratulate Michael Whitaker on securing confirmation as the next administrator of the FAA. This is a critical moment for American aviation, and throughout his confirmation process, Michael has displayed a strong commitment to safety and the importance of having two highly trained pilots on the flight deck. I look forward to working with him to ensure that the FAA is prioritizing safety with every decision and maintaining our current lifesaving pilot-training requirements.”

General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) president and CEO Pete Bunce asserted: “GAMA congratulates FAA Administrator Whitaker on his confirmation. This is a transformative time for aviation, and we welcome the experience and skills that FAA Administrator Whitaker will bring to the agency. We are confident that he will provide the FAA with the stability, leadership and sound direction that the agency needs. We look forward to working with the Administrator as the FAA continues its work to further develop an aviation system that is safer, more efficient, and technologically advanced.

Mr. Bunce continued: “Additionally, we are grateful for the bipartisan leadership of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which worked to expeditiously move the Administrator’s nomination through the Senate.”

National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) president and CEO Ed Bolen declared: “Congratulations to Mike Whitaker on his well-deserved confirmation as FAA administrator. We look forward to working with Mike, whose expertise will help chart a clear path toward a successful future for the aviation community.”

National Air Transportation Association (NATA) president and CEO Curt Castagna remarked: “NATA congratulates Mike Whitaker on his successful confirmation as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and thanks members of the United States Senate for their swift, unanimous approval of a trusted industry veteran to lead the Agency. Administrator Whitaker’s extensive experience within several aviation sectors combined with his service as Deputy FAA Administrator make him well suited to steer the FAA at this critical juncture for aviation safety, industry innovation, and continued global leadership. The tremendous bipartisan support he received in both Congressional chambers and from a broad swath of industry stakeholders speaks to his qualifications as well as his character.”

Mr. Castagna added: “After more than 18-months without a permanent leader at the Agency’s helm, NATA looks forward to partnering with Administrator Whitaker to recruit a resilient aviation workforce within the FAA and the industry, usher in safe commercial operation of the next generation of aircraft, and invest in our nation’s critical network of more than five-thousand airports—priorities he highlighted at his confirmation hearing earlier this month.”

Finally, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg verbosely crowed:  “I commend the U.S. Senate for quickly confirming Mike Whitaker to lead the FAA. With his three decades of aviation experience, including his time as FAA’s Deputy Administrator, Mike has earned broad bipartisan support because it’s clear he has the expertise and disposition to successfully lead the agency from day one.

“Mike will take the reins at a pivotal time for the FAA. The national airspace is busier and more complex than ever and the challenges are many, from addressing serious close call incidents that have put the entire aviation community on notice, to the need to keep up the FAA’s momentum on air traffic control hiring and training, to continuing to be creative and collaborative with airlines to keep cancellations low after the spike in disruptions last summer. Mike is also well-versed on the critical need to modernize the key systems our national aviation system relies on. As with all infrastructure, inadequate investments in modernization—from buildings to software--can leave the entire system more vulnerable to failures, so we must work closely with Congress to ensure the FAA remains the gold standard of safety and efficiency.

“Finally I want to thank Deputy Secretary Trottenberg for superbly leading the FAA over the past five months in an acting capacity and moving the agency forward on safety and funding initiatives. She is an indispensable leader in this administration, and I look forward to having her fully back at DOT Headquarters to help guide our work across the Department.”

Whitaker, a lawyer by training, joined the FAA in 2013 as the agency’s deputy administrator and chief NextGen officer, a capacity in which he was responsible for modernizing the United States’ air traffic control system—a task in which he failed to excel.

Most recently, Whitaker was in the employ of Hyundai subsidiary Supernal, which he served in the capacity of Chief Operating Officer. Supernal is one of a multitude of companies developing Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) platforms by which they assert en masse that regional flight is to be rendered universally accessible.

Prior to his brief 2013-2016 stretch with the FAA, Whitaker passed twenty-years in the aviation industry, functioning as a lawyer for both TWA and United airlines. Whitaker served, also, as group CEO of InterGlobe Enterprises, the parent company of India’s IndiGo airline.

Asked during a 2023 radio interview why the FAA continues to make use of antiquated technologies, Whitaker set forth: “It is a complicated question. They [the FAA] definitely need new investment. They need new technology. They're subject to a funding model that's pretty inconsistent. Congress passes authorizations. They pass budgets. Those are inconsistent. They're not predictable. They're short-term. And then you have things like government shutdowns that interfere with the process. So you need investment. You don't have a stable source of funding. And you need investment not just to keep the current system running, but to accommodate new technologies, like flying air taxis.”

Whitaker, who holds a Private Pilot certificate and believes the FAA wants for “stable leadership,” stated: “I think the acting administrator has done a great job. But it is a time of transition—a lot of new startups in this space who are hiring from the FAA. They need to build the bench. So I think it is important to invest in the people as well.”

FMI: www.faa.gov