The favored candidate for President Biden to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has withdrew his nomination, casting doubt on the administration’s future direction. President Biden selected Phil Washington to lead the FAA in July of last year, and it was anticipated that he would give the agency “a much-needed shake-up,” in the words of Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell.
In the partisan Senate, Washington lacked sufficient backing. Republicans criticized him uniformly, claiming that his scant aviation expertise made him unfit to serve as the nation’s top aviation regulator.
Washington was part of President Biden’s 2020 transition team for the US Transportation Department, which includes the FAA, and held the role of CEO of Denver International Airport (DEN) for the previous two years. Despite this, she faced criticism.
After Stephen Dickson left the FAA in March 2022, it has been almost a year without a permanent administrator. Following Billy Nolen’s appointment as interim administrator, there are rumors that the White House may now propose Nolan as a fresh candidate for the permanent role. Nolen may be able to secure adequate support from both sides of the Senate thanks to his significant experience as a pilot and his previous employments in safety-related positions at three airlines and the FAA.
Meanwhile, Senator Ted Cruz, ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, issued a statement following Washington’s withdrawal, saying,
“Given the significant challenges facing the FAA, this wasn’t the time for an administrator who needed on-the-job training. The Biden administration must now quickly name someone to head the FAA who has an extensive aviation background, can earn widespread bipartisan support in the Senate, and will keep the flying public safe.”
Following a string of safety issues, including multiple near-misses, the FAA has recently come under fire. The FAA warned airlines last week about the “need for continuing monitoring and attention to mitigation of safety risks” as a result. Aging technology is also thought to have contributed to the massive disruption that followed the NOTAM failure in January 2023, which prompted the CEO of Delta Air Lines to demand increased funding for the FAA.
The two tragic Boeing 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019, which happened after the administration had approved the aircraft as airworthy, further hurt the FAA’s reputation.
