Story ID: 
Former ALPA Boss Taking FAA Controls
By: AIN Staff
Caption: The White House announced Friday that former Air Line Pilots Association president Randy Babbitt has been nominated to become the next FAA Administrator fo
Word Count: 156
The White House announced Friday that former Air Line Pilots Association president Randy Babbitt has been nominated to become the next FAA Administrator for a five-year term. The appointment still has to be approved by the full Senate. Since Marion Blakey completed her term as FAA Administrator in 2007, the agency has been operating under two acting administrators. Currently a partner in the aviation consulting firm Oliver Wyman, Babbitt was an Eastern Air Lines pilot for more than 25 years and served two terms as president of the pilots’ union in the 1990s. His nomination was warmly received by general aviation interests, as well as by the airlines and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen called him an excellent choice with a thorough knowledge of how the nation’s aviation system works. National Air Transportation Association president James Coyne said Babbitt is an outstanding selection who knows the importance of ATC modernization.