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Obama Transition: Could A Pilots’ Union Chief Head the FAA?
Posted by Matt Phillips
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Duane Woerth, then the President of the Airline Pilots Association, during testimony on Capitol Hill in 2003. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
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There are a few more names floating around this morning in connection with key transportation jobs in the next administration, and a onetime pilots’ union leader is a top contender to head the Federal Aviation Administration, according to people close to President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team.
That could prove to be an interesting pick at a time when smooth relations between labor and management will be critical to the agency’s modernization plans. That’s according to a report from The Wall Street Journal’s Andy Pasztor and Christopher Conkey.
Airline consultant Duane Woerth, who was president of the Air Line Pilots Association from 1999 to 2006, has met with House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar and has his tentative support, according to people familiar with their discussions. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who heads an aviation subcommittee, is slated to meet with Woerth in the next few days.
Woerth, who was a Northwest Airlines 747 pilot, was defeated in his bid for a third four-year term as president of the Air Line Pilots Association in October 2006, according to the Associated Press. He then went to work advising Northwest officials in the carrier’s Washington D.C. office.
People familiar with the matter say Woerth doesn’t have a lock on the job and the situation could change, especially if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid decides to push hard for Robert Herbert, an aide, for the top FAA job. (Herbert had been previously reported to be a candidate for the position.)
Still, the Journal reports that Woerth has the strong backing of various unions seeking to cash in political capital for their aggressive support of Obama’s candidacy. But Woerth, who frequently prodded the agency to step up air-safety efforts, also has garnered bipartisan endorsements on Capitol Hill and enjoys the backing of some aircraft makers and airline-industry officials.
Other names mentioned in connection with key transportation jobs in the Obama administration include Debbie Hersman, a Democratic member of the National Transportation Safety Board, who is likely to be nominated to be its next chairwoman, according to people familiar with the matter. Unions are also excited that former FAA administrator Jane Garvey, a senior member of Obama’s transition team overseeing aviation issues, remains a leading candidate to head the Transportation Department.
Whoever ends up with the FAA job, they will face the daunting challenge of transitioning the nation’s air traffic control infrastructure over to new technology. Such changes are considered crucial to improving the performance of the nation’s aviation infrastructure. Improvements to the ATC system would likely be warmly welcomed by carriers with key hubs in the congested New York City area — for example Continental at Newark Liberty or JetBlue at Kennedy International.
The FAA job traditionally goes to an industry executive, high-ranking military officer or government official. It would seem that a former commercial pilot would have plenty of attributes that could recommend him for heading up a government agency. Ability to multi-task? Check. Command personality traits? Check. Experience managing public expectations? Captains have to keep passengers abreast of reasons for delays and other flight issues.
CAL sucks... 6 crossing a month for $6000 and 12 days off @ CAL... Is Delta, FedEx or SWA hiring yet?
Posted by Matt Phillips
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Duane Woerth, then the President of the Airline Pilots Association, during testimony on Capitol Hill in 2003. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
[/FONT]
There are a few more names floating around this morning in connection with key transportation jobs in the next administration, and a onetime pilots’ union leader is a top contender to head the Federal Aviation Administration, according to people close to President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team.
That could prove to be an interesting pick at a time when smooth relations between labor and management will be critical to the agency’s modernization plans. That’s according to a report from The Wall Street Journal’s Andy Pasztor and Christopher Conkey.
Airline consultant Duane Woerth, who was president of the Air Line Pilots Association from 1999 to 2006, has met with House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar and has his tentative support, according to people familiar with their discussions. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who heads an aviation subcommittee, is slated to meet with Woerth in the next few days.
Woerth, who was a Northwest Airlines 747 pilot, was defeated in his bid for a third four-year term as president of the Air Line Pilots Association in October 2006, according to the Associated Press. He then went to work advising Northwest officials in the carrier’s Washington D.C. office.
People familiar with the matter say Woerth doesn’t have a lock on the job and the situation could change, especially if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid decides to push hard for Robert Herbert, an aide, for the top FAA job. (Herbert had been previously reported to be a candidate for the position.)
Still, the Journal reports that Woerth has the strong backing of various unions seeking to cash in political capital for their aggressive support of Obama’s candidacy. But Woerth, who frequently prodded the agency to step up air-safety efforts, also has garnered bipartisan endorsements on Capitol Hill and enjoys the backing of some aircraft makers and airline-industry officials.
Other names mentioned in connection with key transportation jobs in the Obama administration include Debbie Hersman, a Democratic member of the National Transportation Safety Board, who is likely to be nominated to be its next chairwoman, according to people familiar with the matter. Unions are also excited that former FAA administrator Jane Garvey, a senior member of Obama’s transition team overseeing aviation issues, remains a leading candidate to head the Transportation Department.
Whoever ends up with the FAA job, they will face the daunting challenge of transitioning the nation’s air traffic control infrastructure over to new technology. Such changes are considered crucial to improving the performance of the nation’s aviation infrastructure. Improvements to the ATC system would likely be warmly welcomed by carriers with key hubs in the congested New York City area — for example Continental at Newark Liberty or JetBlue at Kennedy International.
The FAA job traditionally goes to an industry executive, high-ranking military officer or government official. It would seem that a former commercial pilot would have plenty of attributes that could recommend him for heading up a government agency. Ability to multi-task? Check. Command personality traits? Check. Experience managing public expectations? Captains have to keep passengers abreast of reasons for delays and other flight issues.
CAL sucks... 6 crossing a month for $6000 and 12 days off @ CAL... Is Delta, FedEx or SWA hiring yet?
:laugh: 
