President Trump on Monday chose Bryan Bedford, a longtime airline industry executive, to lead the Federal Aviation Administration.
Since 1999, Mr. Bedford has been the president and chief executive at Republic Airways, which operates flights for the three largest U.S. airlines. In a statement on social media, Mr. Trump praised Mr. Bedford’s experience in aviation and executive leadership.
“Bryan will work with our GREAT Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, to strongly reform the Agency, safeguard our exports, and ensure the safety of nearly one billion annual passenger movements,” Mr. Trump wrote.
The F.A.A. has been without a confirmed leader since Mr. Trump took office two months ago. The agency’s previous administrator, Mike Whitaker, resigned on Jan. 20, a little more than a year into his five-year term. Chris Rocheleau is the aviation safety agency’s acting administrator.
If confirmed, Mr. Bedford would take the helm at the F.A.A. when it is still reeling from one of the deadliest U.S. commercial plane crashes since 2009. On Jan. 29, an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport, killing 67 people.
Mr. Bedford would also have a number of pressing concerns that have caught the attention of Mr. Trump and Mr. Duffy. Those include addressing the air traffic controller shortage and upgrading the outdated systems they use to do their jobs.
Mr. Bedford’s appointment was welcomed within the industry.
“Having worked with Bryan Bedford for two decades, I have total confidence in his ability to lead the F.A.A. at this critical time,” Scott Kirby, the chief executive of United Airlines, which holds a 19 percent stake in Republic, said in a statement.
Under Mr. Bedford, Republic grew from a carrier with under $90 million in revenue in 1999 to one with more than $1.2 billion in 2016, according to S&P Capital IQ. That year, amid a pilot shortage in the industry, the airline filed for bankruptcy. It exited bankruptcy the following year as a private company, though it had been rumored to be considering a return to the public markets several years ago.
Last year, Republic carried more than 19 million passengers on flights operated for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United, according to federal data. American holds a 25 percent stake in Republic.
“He intimately understands the importance of a strong working relationship between the F.A.A. and air space operators of all sizes,” Nick Calio, chief executive of the trade group Airlines for American, said in a statement.
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