FAA Names NextGen Chief

FAA established a new position to oversee the implementation of NextGen and speed up the modernization of the nation’s air traffic control system. Vicki Cox was named senior vice president of NextGen and Operations Planning, which will include the incorporation of the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), currently led by Charlie Leader. The appointment will allow JPDO to focus on long term research and development and cross-agency cooperation while the FAA puts an emphasis on near- and mid-term implementation. Cox will report to FAA’s Air Traffic Organization COO Hank Krakowski. “We need to better meet the immediate needs of the airline industry given the rising fuel costs and the need to be environmentally responsible,” Krakowski said. “We need the joint planning group now more than ever.”