Delta Airlines retired senior vice president of flight operations, Steve Dickson is expected to soon be nominated for the permanent position of FAA administrator to replace the agency’s deputy administrator Daniel Elwell who has been running the FAA as acting administrator. Dickson retired last fall from Delta after a 27-year run at the airline where he was type-rated in five different Delta aircraft as well as being responsible for the airline’s training, technical support and regulatory compliance.
According to Politico, rumors that President Trump’s personal pilot, John Dunkin, would be offered the job have evaporated with critics claiming he does not have the experience to run an organization like the FAA.
A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a former F-15 pilot, Dickson is said to have broad industry support for the FAA role. Rumors of Dickson’s nomination actually first surfaced last fall, but then appeared to have been ignored until raised again last week. Dickson is said to not support efforts to separate the ATC side of the agency from the main body of the FAA.
