April 2, 2009 - President Obama has nominated former pilot union leader and current aviation consultant Randy Babbitt is expected to head the Federal Aviation Administration. Babbitt served as president of the Air Line Pilots Association, the largest pilot union in the U.S.
“The IAM welcomes Randy Babbitt’s nomination as the new Administrator of the FAA,” says IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger. “We are confident that under his leadership, the U.S. air transportation system will achieve greater efficiency and continue to set the world standard for aviation safety.”
If confirmed, Babbitt promises swift action to settle the two and a half year dispute between the FAA and its air-traffic controllers and to speed up the Administration’s transition to a new satellite-based air traffic control system dubbed NextGen.
