Acting FAA Administrator to Step Down

Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen has announced that he intends to step down from the position this summer.

Continue reading below, or listen:

The announcement comes shortly after Denver Airport CEO Phillip Washington, President Biden’s first nominee for the position, withdrew from the appointment process at the end of last month over questions about his level of experience in the aviation industry.

For the drone industry – and aviation in general – the last few years have been plagued by a lack of long term leadership and series of emergencies that have required the agency to focus on putting out fires.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, nominated by President Barack Obama, served from 2013 – 2018.  Acting Administrator Dan Elwell served from January 2018 until Steve Dickson, President Donald Trump’s nominee, was confirmed in July of 2019.  There has been no Senate-confirmed FAA Administrator for more than a year, since former Administrator Steve…