Acting Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Billy Nolen will be stepping down from his position over the summer.
The announcement was made in an internal memo obtained by Politico and the Wall Street Journal. Nolen said he is stepping down to spend more time with his family.
THE FAA NEEDS AN EXPERIENCED AVIATION LEADER, NOT A POLITICAL PARTISAN
“I have given everything to this agency, and now it’s time to do the same for my family, who have sacrificed so much and supported me during my time at the FAA,” he said.
“Now it is time for a new captain to guide the FAA,” Nolen added.
His departure comes as the agency has been without a Senate-appointed leader for over a year.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg praised Nolen’s tenure in a statement, saying he had kept safety at the forefront of his priorities.
“Billy is a tremendous leader, a true expert, and a dedicated public servant,” Buttigieg said.
The departure of the FAA’s top leader comes as the agency experiences an influx of issues, including several near-collisions between planes at airports, the expected return of air travel to pre-pandemic levels, and lagging technology that has seen planes grounded.
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Nolen was widely viewed as favorable on a bipartisan basis, and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) proposed him as a viable alternative to the Biden administration’s pick of Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington, who withdrew himself from consideration after opposition from Republicans.
People familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that Nolen removed himself from the White House’s choice pool to become the agency’s appointed leader.
