Mike Whitaker, unanimously confirmed as the FAA administrator in October 2023, stepped down early from his five-year term on Jan. 20 when Trump took office and for 10 days the FAA declined to say who was running the agency on an acting basis. Trump has not yet named a permanent candidate to replace Whitaker.

President Trump on Thursday announced he would appoint an acting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrator in the wake of the midair crash between a passenger plane and Army helicopter

It appears that the first major air disaster in the U.S. since 2009 has occurred while the Federal Aviation Administration does not have a permanent leader.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy echoed Trump’s remarks about diversity programs, saying “only the best brightest” should hold federal aviation jobs. “We will not accept excuses,” Duffy said. “We will not accept passing the buck.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had been sworn in just hours before the deadly midair collision of a plane and helicopter near Washington, D.C.

Trump blamed recent Democratic administrations and DEI, ordering top transit and aviation officials to review hiring decisions made during Biden's years.

Large volumes pose challenges to air traffic control, which has faced severe staffing shortages for years, according to experts.

Duffy was sworn into the Cabinet position just hours before an American Airlines passenger plane collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River