Aniket PujariPresident Donald Trump has nominated Bryan Bedford, the chief executive officer of regional airline Republic Airways Holdings Inc., to be the next leader of the Federal Aviation Administration.
If confirmed by the Senate, Bedford would lead the regulator as it grapples with the fallout from a January midair collision that killed 67 people, the worst US civil aviation disaster in decades. He’ll also have to navigate the priorities of the Trump administration and billionaire adviser Elon Musk, whose rocket company SpaceX is regulated by the FAA and is also leading a government efficiency push that has led to broad job cuts at many federal agencies.
The FAA has recently turned to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet terminals as part of a solution to upgrade the FAA’s aging telecommunications network. Bloomberg was the first to report that the FAA was testing the use of Starlink.
At the same time, he’ll continue to oversee safety reforms underway at Boeing Co. after a near-catastrophic accident on one of its planes early last year. The agency is also managing the entry of new technologies, including drones and air taxis, into US airspace.
Bedford will work with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to “strongly reform the agency, safeguard our exports, and ensure the safety of nearly one billion annual passenger movements,” Trump said Monday in a social media post announcing the nomination. Bloomberg News was first to report that Bedford was the frontrunner for the role.
Bedford is an aviation industry veteran who has been with Republic for more than 25 years. Republic is one of the largest regional airlines, ferrying travelers from smaller cities to major hub airports for American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Airlines Holdings Inc.
With assistance from Mary Schlangenstein.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
