The Federal Aviation Administration’s interim administrator Billy Nolen is leaving this summer, and President Joe Biden will have to act quickly to replace the key position. Biden’s first choice withdrew last month when it became clear that he was not going to get through confirmation.
Denver International Airport CEO Phillip Washington’s nomination stalled in the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, because Republicans said he lacked aviation experience.
The Senate Commerce Committee is chaired by Washington State Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat. Ranking minority member is Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan also serves on the committee and was instrumental in sealing the fate of the nominee Washington.
Sen. Sullivan, during the confirmation hearing for Washington, told the nominee that his resume didn’t hold up to scrutiny for someone who is to be in charge of the safety of the nation’s airways.
Nolen made his announcement Friday in a memo to staff: “But now it is time for a new captain to guide the FAA. I told [Sec. of Transportation] Buttigieg and notified the White House that I will depart as a new nominee is named this summer.”
The FAA has faced a number of problems, including having its NOTAM computers shut down inexplicably in January, prompting the sudden halt of all flights. The computer system was damaged after a contractor deleted essential files, the FAA explained. More than 1,100 flights were canceled and 7,700 were delayed as a result.
Also of concern are the number of near-misses occurring at airports, where two or more aircraft are cleared for the same runway or taxiway at the same time. By March of 2023, there had been 613 runway incursion incidents in the six prior months according to the FAA.
The agency has been without a permanent leader since March of 2022, when Trump-appointed Administrator Steve Dickson left after serving less than half of his five-year term.
