Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington has been nominated by President Joe Biden to be the next Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official.
If confirmed, Washington will become the agency’s first Black permanent administrator and will oversee 45,000 employees. According to CNN, the position has been vacant since March, when Steve Dickson, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, stepped down halfway through his five-year term. Billy Nolen, the FAA’s current administrator, is also Black.
For Phil Washington who is CEO of the world’s third busiest airport, his potential promotion comes at a difficult time for the aviation industry. Airlines are dealing with significant issues, such as staffing shortages, which are causing thousands of flights to be canceled across the United States.
More than 2,000 flights were canceled between Thursday and Monday, July 4th, according to FlightAware, with 657 flights canceled on Saturday alone. Furthermore, over 1,200 Delta pilots protested at seven major airports, demanding better pay and benefits.
Even the FAA is under fire for its oversight of commercial jetliner manufacturer Boeing, following its review of the Boeing 737 Max 10 Commercial plane, which had been grounded for nearly two years following two crashes that killed 346 people.
The agency is also concerned about the eventual deployment of 5G service near its airports. Cell phone companies agreed last month to postpone the rollout of 5G for another year in order to avoid its interference with airplane technology.
The disabled former United States Army veteran from Chicago also led the Biden-Harris Transportation Department transition team and co-chaired the Biden-Harris Infrastructure Policy Committee.
Phil Washington was the CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority for six years prior to his current position. Washington was there as part of a major effort to expand the city’s rail network and overhaul the region’s bus network in the face of declining ridership.
Phil Washington also has a bachelor’s degree in Business from Columbia College and a master’s degree in Management from Webster University.
