The U.S. Senate last week voted to confirm American Airlines executive John DeLeeuw as the newest member of the National Transportation Safety Board.
DeLeeuw, nominated by President Donald Trump in September, serves as the managing director of safety and efficiency at American.
According to The New York Times, the Senate’s vote was split along party lines. DeLeeuw will fill a vacancy left by the White House’s removal of NTSB vice chair Alvin Brown in May 2025. Brown, a Democrat who previously served as mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, was appointed by former President Joe Biden.
Trump has never explained why he moved to oust Brown, who is suing the administration over his removal.
DeLeeuw served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. He later joined American Airlines, where he flew Boeing 727s, MD-80s, and, most recently, 787 Dreamliners.
American, Boeing, Airlines for America (A4A), the Allied Pilots Association (APA), Southwest Airlines, the Regional Airlines Association (RAA), and the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), among other groups, backed DeLeeuw’s nomination in statements to the Senate Commerce Committee.
“Captain DeLeeuw’s decades of experience in the cockpit of both commercial and military aircraft provide him the technical expertise to support the ongoing work of the NTSB,” A4A said in its statement. “Additionally, his current role as the managing director of safety and efficiency at American Airlines gives him unique knowledge into the safety management systems in the real world…The NTSB would greatly benefit from Captain DeLeeuw’s expertise, and he will make important contributions to enhance aviation’s strong safety culture.”
DeLeeuw will serve for the remainder of Brown’s term, which ends December 31.
