Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-VT), member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, today released the following statement in response to President Biden’s nomination of Michael G. Whitaker, a Vermonter, to lead the Federal Aviation Administration:
“Michael Whitaker has an impressive career in aviation leadership, and his decades spent in the skies will be an asset to the Federal Aviation Administration–which needs the steady hand only experience can provide. As a fellow Vermonter, I know that he has the forward-thinking vision to bring us into the next generation of air travel–and he’ll do it safely, with a mind for sustainability and a passion for innovation within the aviation workforce. With Mike in the cockpit of the FAA, the agency will be on the right course.”
Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Michael G. Whitaker to serve as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Michael G. Whitaker, Nominee for Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
Michael G. Whitaker is currently the chief operating officer of Supernal, a Hyundai Motor Group company designing an electric advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicle. In this role, Whitaker overseas all commercial and key business operations.
Whitaker served as Deputy Administrator at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from 2013–2016. There, he brought industry and government together to drive the successful transition of the nation’s air traffic control system from radar to a satellite-enabled surveillance technology (ABS-B). Prior to Supernal and his tenure at the FAA, Whitaker served as Group CEO of InterGlobe Enterprises, India’s largest travel conglomerate and operator of its largest and most successful airline, IndiGo.
There, he oversaw strategy and operations for four affiliate travel companies. Whitaker also spent 15 years at United Airlines in a variety of roles as Director, Vice President and Senior Vice President. His broad portfolio at the airline included commercial alliances and joint ventures, international and regulatory affairs, and strategic counsel to the Chairman and CEO on international matters.
Whitaker began his more than three-decade aviation career as a litigator, then as Assistant General Counsel of international and regulatory affairs at Trans World Airlines (TWA). He is a private pilot and holds a juris doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He serves on the board of the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes aviation safety globally.
Source: WASHINGTON, D.C. – 9.7.2023. White House. Welch.
