Acting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Billy Nolen announced Friday that he is stepping down from his leadership position, leaving the position vacant ahead of more travel this summer.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Nolen sent a letter to agency employees saying he plans to leave his position this summer, a position he has held since March 2022. His departure comes as The Biden administration has struggled to nominate a permanent candidate to lead the agency, after President Biden’s top pick Phil Washington withdrew his name from consideration last month after facing GOP criticism.
“Now is the time for a new captain to lead the FAA,” Nolen wrote, according to the Journal. He added that he had informed Buttigieg of his plans, and that he would leave “as soon as a new nominee is named this summer.”
“Billy is an exceptional leader, a true expert, and a dedicated public servant,” Buttigieg said in a statement to the Journal.
Many Republican leaders, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), said Washington is not qualified to be the permanent administrator of the FAA. Cruz thanked Nolen in a statement Friday, saying he hopes Biden’s next nominee has the same experience Nolen did.
“I want to thank Billy Nolen for his leadership of the FAA and his continued dedication to aviation safety,” Cruz Tweet. “I wish him well in his future endeavors, and I hope that @POTUS will move quickly to appoint a nominee who will bring the same level of experience and commitment to service as Mr. Nolen.”
Nolen served as the FAA’s Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety before taking on the role of acting administrator last year. Before coming to the FAA, he served in several leadership positions at various airlines, according to his government biography.
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