Finally, some answer to the question of who will replace Billy Nolen at the FAA. Reuters has reported that Deputy U.S. Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg is expected to be tapped as the next Acting Administrator for the FAA.
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While no official announcement has been made, the news comes as the aviation industry anticipates the imminent departure of the current FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen, who will leave the agency at the end of the week. Nolen is reported to be joining passenger eVTOL firm Archer Aviation. Nolen’s departure will leave a vacancy at the top spot in the FAA. The Biden administration has not yet announced another nominee for the permanent position, since top pick and Denver Airport CEO Phil Washington withdrew from the process in March.
Polly Trottenberg is currently Deputy Secretary at the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), supporting Secretary Buttigieg. Trottenberg has experience in both politics and transportation. From 2014 to 2020, Trottenberg served as New York City’s Transportation Commissioner, running a 5,800-person agency responsible for New York City’s extensive organization of transportation infrastructure and services.
Trottenberg has also served in the Obama Administration as the Assistant Secretary and Under Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation. In the U.S. Senate, she has worked for Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Majority Leader Charles Schumer, and Senator Barbara Boxer.
The new Acting Administrator of the FAA takes the spot at a challenging time for the aviation industry, as the US deals with safety incidents, a shortage of air traffic controllers, criticism over this year’s NOTAM system outage, and negotiations for the next FAA Authorization package. For the drone industry, the final deadline for Remote ID looms as discussions over passenger eVTOL use, UTM, and a rule on flight beyond visual line of sight continue. Strong leadership at the FAA is critical to moving the industry forward through the next phase of regulation.
Read more:
- FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen to Join eVTOL Aircraft Manufacturer Archer Aviation
- AUVSI Xponential: FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen on What’s Next for Drone Regulation
- FAA Publishes Airworthiness Criteria for Archer’s Midnight Aircraft: A Big Step Towards Commercialization
- Converting Broadcast ID to Network ID: ANRA Wins FAA Contract to Explore Options for Remote ID for Drones
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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[…] pick for FAA Administrator, Mike Whitaker, before he can take the position. The current Acting FAA Administrator, Polly Trottenberg, must by law vacate the seat on October 25, […]