Trump’s choice to lead FAA, Senate, barbecue
Brian Bidford, President of President Trump’s candidate for the Federal Aviation Administration, will face questions from Senators on Wednesday at a critical turn of an agency facing employee shortage and installation of passenger safety.
Mr. Bidford spent contracts operating and renewing regional commercial airlines, including Republican Airlines, where he is currently the position of President, CEO and director.
It is expected that the members of the Senate Committee will inform the Trade, Science and Transport in reviewing his candidacy, “If confirmation, my maximum priority will be public safety and to restore the confidence of the public in aviation,” according to a copy of his prepared notes that were shared with the New York Times. It is expected to add that he will work to “build a new system for the best air traffic control, and to correct chronic employees in air centers in our nation.”
In a recent questionnaire obtained by the New York Times, which was prepared by Mr. Bidford for the committee, he pledged to use his administrative experience in the private sector to address the problems of long technology and the employees that highlighted through the deadly collision of January 29 between a commercial flight and a military helicopter at Ronald Reagan National Airport.
In the months that have passed since the collapse of the Rigan National Airport, a series of nearby errors and interruptions in major airports have caught a new interest in the risks posed by the old FAA tracking systems and air traffic control towers that suffer from employee deficiency.
The next official of the agency – which has had five leaders in the past four years – will be under pressure to correct these problems, even with the Federal Aviation Department cuts elsewhere as part of reducing the volume of the Trump administration of the federal government.
In his questionnaire, Mr. Bidford criticized the agency, which he hopes to lead for what he called “the lack of strategic vision” and “the deep lack of confidence with the agency and inside it.
But the Democrats raised fears that as an official, Mr. Bidford may reduce or engrave new exceptions to the safety standards that he criticized as the executive director of the airline, which increases the complexity of the agency’s efforts to restore the public’s confidence in air travel.
Mr. Bidford was explicit about his contempt for a rule that required the first new officers to obtain at least 1500 hours, describing it as “arbitrary”. Argue In Congress certificate In 2014, the condition “will make the increasing experimental deficiency”. Al -Qaeda, which was ordered by Congress after a fatal regional flight 2009 in Boufalo, entered into force in 2013.
Under the leadership of Mr. Bidford, Republic Airways applied in 2022 to allow graduates of the company’s airline to exempt from a base of 1500 hours, on the pretext that it provided strict training on quality that fits with those that the military pilots received. For them, the Air Agency requires only 750 hours of additional training for commercial aircraft.
FAA denied the petition after a few months.
On Tuesday evening, Senator Tami Dackerett of Illinois, the best democratic committee in the committee, said on Tuesday evening that she challenged Mr. Bidford about this record in a modern meeting, and told her that he is considered the base of the 1500 -year -old trip hours to settle the law.
“But I am still concerned that it will reduce one side of this condition,” Ms. Dakrth added, noting that as an official in the Federal Aviation Administration, he will have some discretionary power to give up this rule of pilots in certain circumstances.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Transport said that in a state of confirmation, Mr. Bidford will follow the laws set by Congress, which specified the condition of 1500 hours of trip.
Democrats are also expected to ask Mr. Bidford about the comments made in 2019, which hints that he will support the allowances of commercial trips by one pilot. He said that the legislators were very volatile and that the pilots’ lounge is very strong to allow the industry to stay away from the requirements of pilots.
“I do not think in my life to see the commercial passenger flying with less than two pilots,” he said. During the conversation At the University of Liberty in 2019, adding, “I don’t think Congress has courage, even if the data and science indicate that it is logical.”
In a statement last week, Senator Ted Cruz, Texas Republicans and Chairman of the Trade Committee, said in a statement that he was “looking to assess” the nomination of Mr. Bidford accurately.
He added: “The following FAA official will need to provide strong and fixed leadership to complete the update projects in a timely manner and also to determine and implement what should be the FAA future and the American air field.”
Democrats are also expected to examine Mr. Bidford’s personal interests during the session. In ethics DisclosureMr. Bidford promised to resign from his current positions or work on various airlines boards, indicating that he is expected to receive a cut batch at the end of the amount and rewards due from the Republic upon resignation from his post, if he asserts as the following FAA official.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Transport said that if he was confirmed, he would comply with laws that oppose interests.