Next US aviation safety chief will face Boeing, reform challenges

The next head of the US FAA will face challenges overseeing Boeing and a series of reforms mandated by Congress in the wake of two fatal 737 MAX crashes. The job opened late Wednesday when the FAA announced administrator Steve Dickson, 64, would resign effective March 31, about halfway through his five-year term. Among those mentioned by congressional and industry officials as potential replacements are former pilots C B "Sully" Sullenberger and Lee Moak. Sullenberger, the current US representative on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), rose to fame in 2009 when he safely landed an Airbus A320 on New York's Hudson River after hitting a flock of geese - known as the "Miracle on the Hudson" flight. Moak, a former president of the Air Line Pilots Association, is currently a member of the US Postal Board of Governors. Dickson headed the FAA as it oversaw a comprehensive review of the then-grounded Boeing 737 MAX. He took a hard line, warning in late 2019 that Boeing was pursuing "a return-to-service schedule that is not realistic." Dickson even piloted the plane in September 2020 for a test flight before approving its return that included extensive training and software updates. The best-selling, single-aisle airplane was grounded for 20 months after two crashes killed 346 people in the space of five months, returning to service in late 2020. Congress approved sweeping legislation in December that year, boosting the FAA's oversight of aircraft manufacturers, requiring disclosure of critical safety information and providing new whistleblower protections. Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell said in a statement on Thursday "there is much work still to do to maintain America’s leadership in aviation- implementing congressionally-mandated safety reforms, training a workforce skilled in advanced technology, and furthering aerospace research and development."<br/>