President Biden Nominated Michael G. Whitaker for FAA Administrator

Michael G. Whitaker was nominated by US President Biden to serve as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Confirmation by the US Senate is next.

This was quickly applauded by U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes;

Michael G. Whitaker is currently the chief operating officer of Supernal, a Hyundai Motor Group company designing an electric advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicle.

In this role, Whitaker oversees all commercial and key business operations. Whitaker served as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from 2013–2016.

There, he brought industry and government together to drive the successful transition of the nation’s air traffic control system from radar to satellite-enabled surveillance technology (ABS-B). Prior to Supernal and his tenure at the FAA, Whitaker served as Group CEO of InterGlobe Enterprises, India’s largest travel conglomerate and operator of its largest and most successful airline, IndiGo.

There, he oversaw strategy and operations for four affiliate travel companies. Whitaker also spent 15 years at United Airlines in a variety of roles as Director, Vice President, and Senior Vice President.

His broad portfolio at the airline included commercial alliances and joint ventures, international and regulatory affairs, and strategic counsel to the Chairman and CEO on international matters.

Whitaker began his more than three-decade aviation career as a litigator, then as Assistant General Counsel of international and regulatory affairs at Trans World Airlines (TWA). He is a private pilot and holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He serves on the board of the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes aviation safety globally.

The US Travel Association says: “The FAA is long overdue for a permanent leader in this critical role, and we welcome progress toward that end. While this position has remained vacant, aviation policymaking has largely remained at a standstill.

The U.S. Senate must work quickly to confirm an administrator and extend vital FAA programs—and Congress must come together to avoid a disastrous government shutdown, which would only exacerbate existing frictions across the travel system.”