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Whittaker was confirmed in October 2023 to serve a five-year term as FAA administrator. It set production limits and Enhanced agency scrutiny After Boeing’s near-catastrophic door plug explosion on the Boeing 737 Max in January, months into the job.
Mark House, the FAA’s assistant administrator for finance and management, will become acting deputy administrator.
The agency has seen several changes in leadership in recent years. They come during one of the most tumultuous periods for the US aviation industry, with two crashes and subsequent groundings of Boeing’s best-selling 737 Max planes, the Covid-19 pandemic, and high The profile includes a series of close calls and security issues. US Airlines and Airports.
Trump’s final nominee to lead the FAA, ExDelta The captain Steve Dixonresigned midway through his term in 2022.
“You’ve seen leadership come and go — and during each transition you’ve kept air travel stable and safe. This transition will be no different,” Whittaker said in a statement.
A spokesman for Trump’s transition team had no immediate comment.
Trump has yet to nominate an FAA administrator for his second term. His eventual nominee, if confirmed, will face a number of challenges, including continuing to oversee Boeing and expanding staff and modernizing air traffic control. The shortage of controllers has irked airline executives, who have blamed staff shortages for congestion at the nation’s busiest airports.
The FAA’s oversight of the space industry has also been a source of controversy. There have been companies including Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Emphasis on improvement. The FAA’s speed and efficiency in regulating rocket launches and spacecraft returning from orbit.
Musk also said in September that his company would. Sue the FAA. After “regulatory overreach”. The agency fined SpaceX. For violations of the license and according to the Company, Test flights have been halted. of his starship rocket.