Fight Brewing Over Trump’s Pick for ICAO Ambassador

Air Line Pilots Association opposes the nomination of a former Delta Air Lines pilot.

Zach Vasile

Friday, July 18, 2025 at 01:14 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

President Trump at Joint Base Andrews in 2019 [Credit: The White House]

Key Takeaways:

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) opposes President Trump's nomination of former Delta pilot Jeffrey Anderson to represent the U.S. on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) council.
ALPA argues Anderson is unqualified and was chosen for his political support for raising the mandatory pilot retirement age, a measure ALPA believes would compromise safety and disrupt labor, and which was not passed in the recent FAA Reauthorization Act.
The White House defends Anderson's qualifications, while some Trump administration officials, including the new FAA Administrator, view the ICAO as a critical body for potentially changing the pilot retirement age internationally.

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The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) on Thursday came out against President Donald Trump’s nominee to represent the U.S. on the council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), former Delta Air Lines pilot Jeffrey Anderson.

The White House announced the president’s selection of Anderson this week alongside appointments to various other government agencies and diplomatic posts. Anderson’s nomination was referred to the U.S. Senate for consideration and an eventual confirmation vote.