The FAA is facing a major crisis without a leader because Elon Musk pushed him out

[riversedge]

Source: theverge.com



Musk has publicly clashed with the FAA and its former chief, Michael Whitaker.

by Andrew J. Hawkins Updated Jan 30, 2025, 11:06 AM CST


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Michael Whitaker stepped down as FAA administrator on January 20th, the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration, after clashing with Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX is regulated by the agency. Musk publicly called on Whitaker to resign after the FAA fined SpaceX for failing to get approval for launch changes............


..............Later Thursday morning, Trump said he was tapping Chris Rocheleau, a top executive for an aviation business association, as acting FAA administrator, but provided no details about a permanent replacement.

Musk, a major donor to Trump, is reportedly helping the administration vet candidates to certain positions and is directing an effort to purge thousands of federal workers from all levels of the government. And while its unclear whether Musk has been directly involved in picking a new FAA administrator, the billionaire mogul has reportedly been involved in overseeing Boeing’s development of the next Air Force One jets.

But Musk’s efforts to get Whitaker were well known even before Trump’s victory in November. He has complained many times about the FAA, lashing out in September after the agency levied a $633,000 fine for launching missions with unapproved changes.,,,,,,,,,

.................Whitaker explained that the FAA’s civil penalties were “the only tool we have to get compliance on safety matters.”.............................


Read more: https://www.theverge.com/news/603113/faa-chief-musk-dc-plane-crash-crisis

[wcmagumba]

1. May I emphasize once again my dislike of the Musk Melon...*****

[yardwork]

2. We need to amplify this.

[Irish_Dem]

3. A mentally ill, drug abuser, unelected Nazi is running our government.

[MichMan]

4. Hope they find one faster than the last time

Five-year term will end early after serving 14 months as aviation agency leader.

An internal email announcing the decision posted on X by CNN transportation reporter Alexandra Skores stated that Whitaker plans to resign on January 20, which is also President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration day. Whitaker's departure will occur 14 months into a five-year term.

Serving as Administrator of the [FAA]—with this incredible team—has been the honor of my lifetime,” Whitaker said in the email. “The United States is the safest and most complex airspace in the world, and that is because of your commitment to the safety of the flying public.”

Whitaker will cut short his time as administrator just a little over a year after he was confirmed by the Senate in October 2023. His appointment ended a 19-month period where the position was left vacant.

https://www.flyingmag.com/news/faa-administrator-mike-whitaker-to-resign-after-year-in-role/

[BidenRocks]

5. Is anyone else thinking....

Conflict Of Interest!!