Babbitt Gets the Nod

U.S. President Barak Obama has nominated J. Randolph (Randy) Babbitt, a former head of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) to run the Federal Aviation Administration.
Babbitt is currently a partner at the aviation consultancy of Oliver Wyman.

Babbitt began his aviation career as a pilot for Eastern Airlines and flew for more than 25 years. As CEO of ALPA, Babbitt helped to direct and achieve important improvements in aviation safety and to influence policy in other critical areas of the industry and its operation. Babbitt left ALPA to found Eclat Consulting in Reston, VA, which provided economic support for regulatory, legislative, and business issues in aviation. The partners and staff of Eclat joined Oliver Wyman’s aviation, aerospace & defense practice in September, 2007. Since joining Oliver Wyman, Babbitt’s client work has focused mainly on advising airlines and labor unions throughout complex restructuring initiatives and negotiations.

Last year, Babbitt served on a blue-ribbon, independent review team tasked with evaluating and crafting recommendations to improve the FAA's implementation of the aviation safety system and its culture of safety. The panel provided detailed recommendations to the FAA across the areas of Airworthiness Directives, Voluntary Disclosure Programs, the culture of the FAA, safety management systems, and information technology and the role of FAA inspectors.

ALPA called Babbitt “a powerful leader who promises to direct the FAA with staunch determination and a deep understanding of the aviation industry. Capt. Babbitt's decisive leadership will position the FAA to take aggressive action to modernize our country's antiquated airspace in the face of air traffic demand that is sure to escalate as the economy improves. Capt. Babbitt knows what it's like to serve as the pilot in command of an airliner and is intimately familiar with all aspects of the regulatory and industry framework. He will develop a flight plan to guide the FAA into the future,” said ALPA.

The Air Transport Association (ATA) said Babbitt is “a superb choice to lead the FAA. He has both the experience and the leadership skills to drive the modernization of our aging air traffic management system and to improve relations with air traffic controllers.”

The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) said Babbitt has “a passion for the industry and brings to the FAA years of aviation experience as a pilot, labor negotiator and safety expert.  There are many critical issues waiting at the helm for a new administrator, including expediting NextGen – the transformation of our air transportation system.”