Obama Fills FAA Deputy Spot with Aviation Exec
May 16, 2013
On May 15, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Michael Whitaker, a former aviation industry executive, to serve as the FAA’s deputy administrator. Because the position does not require Senate confirmation, Whitaker’s service will become effective upon the president’s official nomination.
Whitaker most recently served as a board member and business development consultant for InterGlobe Enterprises from 2011 to 2012 following two years as the group’s CEO. Whitaker worked for United Airlines from 1994 to 2009, most recently as senior vice president for alliances, international, and regulatory affairs. He also spent time at Trans World Airlines from 1991 to 1994 as assistant general counsel for regulatory and international affairs.
The FAA has been without a deputy administrator since 2011, when now-Administrator Michael Huerta was promoted following the resignation of former Administrator Randy Babbitt.
More from ARSA
ARSA and the Aircraft Electronics Association continue to explore safety management system integration.
Share your repair station’s SMS implementation experiences in this month’s “quick question.” Feedback will be used, without…
Read More
June 02, 2026 | Categories:
ARSA News & Updates,
ARSA Works,
FAA
Charles Taylor, the Wright Brothers’ mechanic and father of aviation maintenance, was born on May 24, 1868. Now – 158 years later – we celebrate him through continued commitment to…
Read More
On May 28, ARSA Executive Vice President Christian Klein informed congressional staff of an ongoing lawsuit against the FAA alleging violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Fifth Amendment…
Read More
On Tuesday, June 23, ARSA and the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) will co-host the next session in their webinar series explaining integration of a safety management system within the operations…
Read More
The recording of ARSA’s special workshop for introducing government personnel to the maintenance industry is now available for open registration and viewing. The on-demand resource is a valuable tool for…
Read More