FAA nominee an ex-Delta executive
Dickson to face challenge on Boeing oversight in wake of crashes.
President Donald Trump has tapped a former Delta Air Lines executive to lead the Federal Aviation Administration as the regulator deals with questions about its approval of a Boeing airliner involved in two deadly crashes within five months.
The White House said Tuesday that Trump will nominate Stephen Dickson to head the FAA. The agency has been led by an acting administrator since January 2018.
Separately, the Transportation Department confirmed that its watchdog agency will examine how the FAA certified the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, the nowgrounded plane involved in two fatal accidents within five months.
The FAA had stood by the safety of the plane up until March 13, despite other countries grounding it.
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao formally requested the audit in a letter sent to Inspector General Calvin Scovel III on Tuesday.
Chao, whose agency oversees the FAA, said the audit will improve the department’s decision-making. Her letter confirmed that she had previously requested an audit. It did not mention that the inspector general and federal prosecutors have already started looking into the development and regulatory approval of the jet, as reported by news outlets, including The Associated Press.
The letter requests “an audit to compile an objective and detailed factual history of the activities that resulted in the certification of the Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft.” It also says the audit will help the FAA “in ensuring that its safety procedures are implemented effectively.”