Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford was nominated by the president to lead the agency following several deadly airplane incidents this year.
President Donald Trump announced on March 17 the nomination of Bryan Bedford, CEO of Republic Airways, to serve as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as the agency faces scrutiny over aviation safety concerns and staffing shortages.
“I am pleased to announce the nomination of Bryan Bedford to serve as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),” President Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “As the former President and CEO of Republic Airways, Mesaba Airlines, and Business Express Airlines, Brian brings over three decades of experience in Aviation and Executive Leadership to this critical position.”
Trump said that Bedford would work with Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy “to strongly reform the Agency, safeguard our exports, and ensure the safety of nearly one billion annual passenger movements.”
Bedford, who has led Republic Airways for more than 20 years, has overseen the airline’s expansion into one of the largest regional carriers in North America. The airline operates more than 900 daily flights for major U.S. carriers, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.
His nomination received praise from the U.S. Travel Association, a leading industry group that advocates for the travel sector.
“We applaud President Trump on his selection of Bryan Bedford as the next Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),” U.S. Travel Association CEO Geoff Freeman said in a statement. “Bedford is an outstanding candidate to lead the FAA through this historic transformation and work with the administration to usher in a ‘Golden Age of Travel.’ We urge the Senate to swiftly consider his nomination.”
If confirmed by the Senate, Bedford will take over an agency that has been without a permanent leader since Trump was sworn in on January 20.
The FAA has been under the interim leadership of Deputy Administrator Chris Rocheleau following the resignation of Mike Whitaker, who stepped down the same day that Trump took office.
Safety concerns have been heightened following multiple aviation incidents, including the midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January, which resulted in 67 fatalities.
Other recent incidents include fatal crashes of small planes in Alaska and Philadelphia, the crash of a Delta Connection regional jet that flipped upon landing in Toronto, and a near miss at Chicago Midway involving a Southwest Airlines plane.
If approved, Bedford will oversee several key regulatory decisions, including whether to allow Boeing to expand production of its 737 Max beyond the current cap of 38 planes per month and whether to approve two new variants of the aircraft.
Duffy has emphasized the need for reforms, stating that Boeing has “lost its way and lost the trust of the American people.”
He has also signaled that the administration will seek congressional approval for significant investments to modernize the nation’s air traffic control infrastructure.
The FAA is currently facing a shortage of approximately 3,500 air traffic controllers, with many controllers working six-day weeks and mandatory overtime to cover gaps.
Reuters contributed to this report.