, as part of an internal review, found they believed agency leaders were too close with business interests and reported feeling pressure from the industry.The crash investigations also highlighted how Boeing and other manufacturers are authorized to use company engineers to carry out safety work on the public’s behalf, a process known as delegation. The FAA said it has not taken that step with any company in the air taxi industry.
Supernal said Whitaker’s expertise makes him the right candidate to lead the FAA, adding in a statement that he “has both the vision and hands-on experience to manage today’s aviation system while also preparing for the industry’s future.”someone so familiar with the nascent industry running the FAA. The agency occasionally has struggled to keep pace with the change of technology, another weakness Congress highlighted in the wake of the Boeing crashes.
“These people are critical because we have to figure out how to build something that will be certifiable,” said Goldstein, whose company has backing from United Airlines. “We can’t build a new piece of technology without using the lessons that, through history, have made aviation the safest form of transportation today.”
Liz Hempowicz, a vice president at the Project on Government Oversight, a nonprofit watchdog group, said without strong transparency rules, close links between industry executives and top federal officials can undermine public confidence.