FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker to bow out on Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day

Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) Administrator Mike Whitaker has announced his intention to step down as the agency’s head on President-elect Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day. 

In a letter to staff working at the FAA on December 12, 2024, Whitaker said that his tenure leading the US aviation regulator has been the “honor of a lifetime”.  

Whitaker confirmed that his final day at the FAA will be on January 20, 2025, the same day that the new Republican President Donald Trump is set to take over from President Biden.  

In his letter, Whitaker wrote: “The United States is the safest and most complex airspace in the world, and that is because of your commitment to the safety of the flying public. This has been the best and most challenging job of my career.” 

Whitaker became chief of the FAA in October 2023 and oversaw the dramatic repercussions for Boeing that that have dominated the industry this year, after a door plug separated from an Alaska Airlines 737-9 on January 5, 2024.  

Boeing’s reputation for safety and quality was decimated, but Whitaker has been praised for steadying the ship and getting the US planemaker back on track after a tumultuous year.  

Whitake wrote: “It has not been business as usual for Boeing. We have dramatically increased oversight, including more inspectors and close scrutiny over production. We are also making sure the company implements a robust safety management system, which will be crucial to an enduring safety culture.” 

Whitaker was due to serve a five-year tenure as the FAA administrator, but with Donald Trump having already begun to make sweeping changes to many US institutions, he may well have felt it was only a matter of time before he was replaced.  

Whitaker has received bipartisan support during his time leading the FAA, which also included challenges around air traffic controller shortages and aircraft near misses.  

The FAA chief has also been a leading force in the progression of electric vehicle takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.  

In October, Whitaker keynoted the 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), where he unveiled the FAA’s Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) establishing requirements for the safe, efficient integration of advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft into the nation’s aviation system. 

Commenting on Whitaker’s decision to step down, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen said: “While short, Mike’s tenure in the left seat at the FAA has been consequential – a number of important priorities have been advanced under his leadership, including measures to enhance safety, foster innovation, integrate new entrants into the aviation system and build the next-generation workforce.” 

Mark House, the Assistant Administrator for Finance and Management, will step in as Acting Deputy Administrator. The final day in post for the FAA’s current Acting Deputy Administrator, Kelly Thomson, will be January 10, 2025.  

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