US Senate Approves New Permanent FAA Administrator – Airways | Airlines

DALLAS — The nominee for the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) administrator, Michael Whitaker, received unanimous approval from the United States Senate on Tuesday with a vote of 98-0.

Last week, members of the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously endorsed Whitaker, paving the way for his potential appointment as administrator, which could occur as early as Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Since March 2022, when Stephen Dickson resigned, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been without a Senate-confirmed administrator. Michael Whitaker, a former deputy FAA administrator with experience in both the private and public sectors of the air travel industry, has been nominated to fill this position.

As part of the confirmation process, Maria Cantwell, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, highlighted Whitaker’s responsibilities, which include establishing a robust safety culture, attracting new talent, and staying up-to-date with technological advancements in the industry.

Recent Issues Affecting the FAA

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1. Budget instability: The FAA has faced budget instability over the past several years, undermining its ability to effectively perform its safety and efficiency mission while managing modernization and key initiatives.
2. Outdated systems and processes: The FAA has struggled to quickly update decades-old systems and processes to keep up with technological advancements and a sharp increase in the number of flights and passengers.
3. ATC staffing woes: The FAA has been struggling to hire and train enough air traffic controllers to keep up with the increasing demands of air travel.
4. Wrong airport landings: Pilots are still misidentifying their intended airport of landing, often going so far as making an approach to or actually landing at an airport other than their planned destination. This problem occurs with pilots operating both VFR and IFR.
5. Air carrier…

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