Latest news with #RepublicAirways
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump FAA nominee says agency faces serious leadership, trust issues
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration says the agency faces serious leadership, trust and culture issues, according to a Senate questionnaire seen by Reuters. The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday on Trump's nomination of Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford to head the FAA. The FAA has come under scrutiny after a series of safety incidents, especially a January 29 mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and U.S. Army helicopter that killed 67 people. "The lack of steady and qualified leadership helps to explain the lack of any coherent strategy or vision for the agency," Bedford wrote in the questionnaire reviewed by Reuters. "A malaise has set in whereby managers believe the agency is helpless to make the necessary changes, and furthermore, they rationalize it isn't really their fault." Bedford, a pilot and industry veteran of more than 30 years, was nominated in March. He previously headed two other carriers and oversaw a significant expansion of Republic Airways, which operates regional flights for American Airlines United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Bedford said there was a profound lack of trust with and within the FAA. He described the agency's organizational structure as "unwieldy" and said there was a need to urgently address the agency's "reactive" safety culture. "The lack of trust makes many managers at FAA reluctant to speak up for fear of retribution," Bedford wrote. He cited "failures" like the FAA's Boeing 737 MAX certification, oversight of chronically delayed air traffic control implementation, and continued controller shortages. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants Congress to approve tens of billions to reform air traffic control and boost staffing. "The root cause of FAA's inability to complete its mission to modernize air traffic systems and effectively manage safety is the lack of strategic vision and competent leadership," Bedford wrote. The FAA does not encourage risk-taking for innovation, Bedford added. "There appears to be no incentive for anyone at FAA to take any innovation risk for fear that it could fail," Bedford wrote. "You could say there was an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' attitude, but that has morphed into a quiet resignation that 'we can't fix it, but we can do our very best to make the system work safely today' mindset."
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Trump FAA nominee says agency faces serious leadership, trust issues
WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration says the agency faces serious leadership, trust and culture issues, according to a Senate questionnaire seen by Reuters. The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday on Trump's nomination of Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford to head the FAA. The FAA has come under scrutiny after a series of safety incidents, especially a January 29 mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and U.S. Army helicopter that killed 67 people. "The lack of steady and qualified leadership helps to explain the lack of any coherent strategy or vision for the agency," Bedford wrote in the questionnaire reviewed by Reuters. "A malaise has set in whereby managers believe the agency is helpless to make the necessary changes, and furthermore, they rationalize it isn't really their fault." Bedford, a pilot and industry veteran of more than 30 years, was nominated in March. He previously headed two other carriers and oversaw a significant expansion of Republic Airways, which operates regional flights for American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab United Airlines (UAL.O), opens new tab and Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), opens new tab. Bedford said there was a profound lack of trust with and within the FAA. He described the agency's organizational structure as "unwieldy" and said there was a need to urgently address the agency's "reactive" safety culture. "The lack of trust makes many managers at FAA reluctant to speak up for fear of retribution," Bedford wrote. He cited "failures" like the FAA's Boeing BA.N 737 MAX certification, oversight of chronically delayed air traffic control implementation, and continued controller shortages. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants Congress to approve tens of billions to reform air traffic control and boost staffing. "The root cause of FAA's inability to complete its mission to modernize air traffic systems and effectively manage safety is the lack of strategic vision and competent leadership," Bedford wrote. The FAA does not encourage risk-taking for innovation, Bedford added. "There appears to be no incentive for anyone at FAA to take any innovation risk for fear that it could fail," Bedford wrote. "You could say there was an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' attitude, but that has morphed into a quiet resignation that 'we can't fix it, but we can do our very best to make the system work safely today' mindset."
Politico
a day ago
- Business
- Politico
FAA nominee to face Hill grilling
Presented by With help from Sam Ogozalek and Ry Rivard QUICK FIX — President Donald Trump's pick for FAA administrator, Bryan Bedford, will face senators this week for his confirmation hearing. He's in for some tough questions. — Elon Musk and Trump's public war of words has calmed down (a bit). But Republicans on Capitol Hill fret that the situation could derail the GOP's reconciliation package. — Trump says he won't cut his 25 percent auto tariffs. But that could hamstring trade talks with the EU, Japan and South Korea, who still think the duties are on the table. IT'S MONDAY: You're reading Morning Transportation, your Washington policy guide to everything that moves. We're glad you're here. Send tips, feedback and song lyrics to Sam at sogozalek@ Chris at cmarquette@ and Oriana at opawlyk@ and follow us at @SamOgozalek, @ChrisMarquette_ and @Oriana0214. 'We can leave this world, leave it all behind/We can steal this car if your folks don't mind/We can live forever if you've got the time, oh/I'm the only friend that makes you cry.' Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the day FINALLY A HEARING: Bryan Bedford, the Republic Airways executive slated to be the Trump administration's next FAA administrator, will be in the Senate Commerce Committee hot seat. And we expect questions about his past stance on commercial pilot certification requirements and his plans to right the ship at FAA (with fewer employees, thanks to DOGE). Senators will want to hear how he plans to grapple with a host of challenges, namely the first major aviation disaster in nearly two decades. — To recap: Bedford's past positions on pilot training will put him at odds with Democrats especially, who have strongly objected to any changes to a longstanding rule requiring commercial pilots to have 1,500 hours of flight time. Republic Airways in 2022 asked the FAA for an exception to the rule in an attempt to train and get pilots in cockpits at its airline faster, but the FAA rejected the request. (And in general regional airlines have wanted the rules to be relaxed, saying they're crimping pilot supply.) — Not budging: Bedford has met Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), the ranking member on the Senate Commerce aviation panel, on the issue. Afterward, she issued a statement saying whoever heads up the FAA needs to ensure the 1,500-hour rule for pilot training remains in place. — The big ticket: Bedford will no doubt get questions about how he plans to push forward the Trump administration's ambitious plan to fix decades-long air traffic control woes — and he'll likely get some uncomfortable questions about the extent to which the agency's workforce has been hollowed out by resignations and early probationary firings. Expect questions about the concerning outages at Newark Liberty International Airport, as well. On The Hill SECLUDED: Elon Musk is leaving Washington with few political friends that could provide him cover over his businesses, chief among them Tesla — vulnerable to declining sales as the sentiment around electric vehicles continues to plummet. E&E News' David Ferris reports that Musk for months has worked his way to isolate the usual liberal base who once favored his electric cars, and now as he tries to turn more lawmakers away from the GOP megabill, he's whittling out any friends he possibly had in the federal government. TAKING A BEAT: While Musk and President Donald Trump each took a (small) step back from their ongoing public row over the bill — specifically about the legislation's removal of EV tax credits and other incentives — the die nonetheless was cast. Republicans' worry was in full gear by Friday morning that their fight could distract from the president's agenda and derail Congress' 'Big Beautiful Bill.' POLITICO's Congress team got lawmakers' reaction — mostly hoping for a quick detente. TOW COMING?: As of Friday morning, the Tesla Model S Trump showcased back in March on the White House lawn — and also purchased — was still parked there, though The Wall Street Journal reported Trump is considering selling the car, which retails for $80,000. (Fox News, meanwhile, said it was as good as gone). WHAT ELSE IS AT STAKE: Speaking of how Musk's firms could fare amid the ongoing feud, a POLITICO team has you covered on all the ways in which his business empire could take a hit if his fight with Trump escalates. EV/HYBRID FEE ON TAP?: The electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle annual registration fees included in the House-passed reconciliation bill were not in the Senate EPW title or the Senate Commerce title, but they could appear in the bill that comes out of the Senate Finance Committee. Some lawmakers, like Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) want to make the $250 EV fee and $100 hybrid fee even steeper than the House proposal, but it remains to be seen what actually gets into the bill. SOME SUNLIGHT?: The House is scheduled to consider today a bill by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), H.R. 188, that would subject Amtrak's board of directors to open meeting requirements. The House Transportation Committee approved it by voice vote in April. Automobiles SEEKING A REPRIEVE: Trump says he won't cut his 25 percent auto tariffs as part of any trade deals he negotiates with other countries — but the EU, Japan and South Korea think those duties are still on the table, according to two people familiar with those talks, Daniel Desrochers and Megan Messerly report. If Trump is unwilling to reduce or nix his car tariffs, it could generate a major obstacle to securing meaningful deals. RESETTING CAFE STANDARDS: NHTSA on Friday published a rule to reset the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program, a move that would allow it to not consider electric vehicles when outlining fuel economy regulations. It marks the latest effort by the Trump administration to hit against the electric vehicle industry and Democrat-implemented regulations. Opponents of the Biden administration's CAFE standards, including DOT Secretary Sean Duffy and a wide array of other Republicans, contend that the per gallon requirements operate as an electric vehicle mandate. — 'The previous administration illegally used CAFE standards as an electric vehicle mandate – raising new car prices and reducing safety. Resetting CAFE standards as Congress intended will lower vehicle costs and ensure the American people can purchase the cars they want,' Duffy said in a statement. Alex Guillén has the details. RECONCILIATION TIE: The Senate Commerce Committee last week unveiled its part of the reconciliation package that proposes to eliminate penalties on automakers that don't comply with CAFE standards. drones ALL THE BUZZ: Trump on Friday signed two executive orders intended to give the U.S. drone industry a leg up over foreign-made counterparts and to expedite drone and air taxi operations stateside. Oriana has more. KEEP IT U.S.: One provision outlines efforts to expand access to U.S.-manufactured drones and promote them as U.S. exports, in an effort to push federal agencies away from foreign-made drones from companies like China-based DJI that the federal government has said poses privacy or security concerns. — DJI Friday responded to the orders, saying it has 'always supported technically grounded minimum security requirements across all UAS manufacturers, regardless of their country of origin' and that it 'welcomes and embraces opportunities to demonstrate our privacy controls and security features.' Aviation SUPER SPEED: Trump also issued an executive order Friday calling for the FAA to get rid of existing prohibitions on supersonic flight over U.S. land. Oriana has more details. NEWARK FLIGHT LIMIT IN EFFECT: The FAA formally imposed its 28 arrivals and departures per hour limit at Newark on Friday, which puts the restrictions in place during airport construction on weekends from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31. Arrivals and departures won't exceed 34 of each per hour the rest of the time through Oct. 25. TINY JUMP: House Republican appropriators on Sunday unveiled their fiscal 2026 DHS funding bill ahead of a subcommittee markup today. TSA would get a slight bump to $11.2 billion, a less than 1 percent increase compared to current funding. Jennifer Scholtes has the story. DOGE WATCH WE WANT YOU BACK: The Washington Post on Friday reported that DOGE's slash and burn of federal workers is now coming home to roost, with the Trump administration scrambling to get experienced employees back at many agencies stifled with a deeper workload since their colleagues were haphazardly dismissed or pushed to take an early resignation offer. As MT readers recall, Chris and Sam broke down similar movement happening within the halls of DOT. Infrastructure TRUMP FUNDING GATEWAY: The Trump administration is recommending $700 million in the 2026 budget for the Hudson River train tunnel, the $16 billion project to bolster the connection between New York and New Jersey. The funding recommendation by the FTA is a sign that President Donald Trump is no longer attempting to upend the Gateway program, as he did by slow rolling it during his first term. — Elements of the tunnel project are already under construction and employing union workers. According to a recent Regional Plan Association report, the Gateway program could generate 'close to $445 billion in economic benefits' in coming decades. The Autobahn — 'Trump's FAA Pick Once Played a Flight Attendant on TV. It Drew FAA Scrutiny.' The Wall Street Journal. — 'Counting Up the Potential Costs of the Trump-Musk Rift.' The New York Times. — 'Boeing Poised to Restart Jet Handovers to China Amid Trade Spat.' Bloomberg. — 'Trump Has Power, a Big Megaphone and Billions to Spend. So Does Musk.' The New York Times. — 'Trump wants a manufacturing boom. The industry is buckling.' POLITICO. — 'Trump administration says it'll work with state on Long Island traffic crashes.' Newsday. — 'Over the moon: How the Trump-Musk feud helps the lunar mission.' POLITICO. — 'Exclusive: United shuts down Starlink Wi-Fi on regional jets.' The Points Guy. — 'Costco cards good for 'hot dogs & rotisserie chickens,' not airports, TSA says.' USA TODAY. — 'No fatalities reported after skydiving plane crashes in Tennessee, officials say.' CNN. Know of an event we should have on our calendar? Let MT know at transpocalendar@
Reuters
6 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
US Senate committee to consider nomination of Republic CEO to head FAA
June 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will hold a June 11 hearing on President Donald Trump's nomination of Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford to head the Federal Aviation Administration. Bedford, a pilot and industry veteran of more than 30 years, previously headed two other carriers and oversaw a significant expansion of Republic Airways. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has asked Congress for tens of billions of dollars to modernize the aging U.S. air traffic control system to address airport congestion, flight delays and a shortage of 3,500 certified controllers. The FAA's air traffic control network's woes have been years in the making, but a rush of high-profile mishaps, near-misses and a catastrophic crash in January involving an American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab regional jet and an Army helicopter killed 67 and prompted new calls for action.
Bloomberg
03-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
NYC's Noisy Skies Get Electric With Beta's Demo Flight Into JFK
New York City will probably never rid itself of the thousands of helicopters heard flying around tourists and bigwigs each day, but one company is promising a quieter alternative. On Tuesday, aerospace startup Beta Technologies Inc. is flying a fixed-wing, electric aircraft from the Hamptons to John F. Kennedy International Airport for the first time, carrying aboard executives from partner Blade Air Mobility Inc. and potential customer Republic Airways Holdings Inc.
