Michael Whitaker received an exceedingly rare unanimous bipartisan 98-0 vote on Tuesday to take over as the newest Federal Aviation Administration head, ending an 18-month vacancy caused by an unexpected resignation and an aborted Biden nomination. The Washington Post reports Whitaker’s predecessor, Trump-appointee Stephen Dickson, retired midway through his five-year term in March 2022.
Biden’s first nominee, Phillip Washington, spent a number of months trying to win over Senators, but he faced questions from members of both Parties about his qualifications to run air travel regulation after being the administrator for municipal transit systems. Whitaker, however, was an executive at American Airlines, preparing for a position where he’ll explain why everyone’s flights were delayed.