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 Donald Trump's nomination of former Delta pilot Jeffrey Anderson as the U.S. representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
ALPA argues Anderson is unqualified and was chosen for political reasons, specifically his support for raising the mandatory pilot retirement age from 65 to 67, a controversial policy ALPA and the FAA oppose due to safety concerns and potential disruptions.
The ICAO position is crucial for influencing international aviation standards, including any potential changes to the pilot retirement age, which is currently a globally aligned 65.

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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.