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Whitaker, who was appointed as FAA administrator in October 2023 for a five-year term, is set to vacate his role on Jan 20, which coincides with the start of Trump’s second term in office.
“As I conclude my time at the FAA, my confidence in you to meet our safety mission has never been stronger,” Whitaker said in a memo to employees on Thursday.
The FAA also said Deputy Administrator Katie Thomson will step down on Jan. 10, which will mean Mark House, the agency’s assistant administrator for finance and management, will be the agency’s senior acting official during the transition.
Michael G. Whitaker, who became FAA Administrator in October 2023, will step down when President-elect Donald Trump takes office, Whitaker said in a memo to employees on Dec. 12, 2024. (Federal Aviation Administration)
Whitaker told Reuters last week that he was unsure if he would stay beyond Jan. 20 as conversations with the transition team continued.
His tenure has been consumed with addressing Boeing safety issues after a door panel missing four key bolts flew off an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 jet at 16,000 feet.
Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat who heads a subcommittee on aviation, said she was saddened about Whitaker’s departure and praised his oversight of Boeing. “I hope the effort he spearheaded on that front will continue,” she said.
The FAA chief took the unprecedented step of capping Boeing’s production at 38 737 MAX planes per month in January and has insisted the company make dramatic safety improvements before he would restore authority.
Whitaker, who announced another audit of Boeing in October, has said it could take five years for the company to reform its safety culture, but noted the planemaker has deployed a new parts management system and improved training.
He has also dealt with continuing air traffic control staffing issues and a series of near-miss incidents that have raised safety concerns.
