The White House said it plans to nominate Phillip Washington for the position of administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Washington, a 24-year veteran of the US Army, is currently chief executive officer of Denver International Airport (DEN) and previously headed the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).
Steve Dickson, the previous head of the FAA, resigned in March, citing family reasons for his decision to leave the post before the end of his planned five-year term.
The FAA is currently being led by acting chief Billy Nolen. The new administrator will have much to contend with when they take up the role.
In recent months, the FAA has dealt with disruption to aviation equipment from the rollout of 5G networks across the United States. Its oversight of Boeing production has also come under fire.
The FAA is also currently sparring with airlines over flight delays and cancellations that have disrupted travelers’ plans in recent months, including over the July Fourth weekend.
In the latest exchange, reports cited a senior United Airlines executive as saying on July 6, 2022, that the FAA needs more ATC staff. In response, the FAA said airlines need to do more to reduce cancellations and delays.
“The reality is that multiple overlapping factors have affected the system, including airline staffing levels, weather, high volume and ATC capacity, but the majority of delays and cancellations are not because of staffing at FAA,” the FAA stated according to an article by Reuters.