President-elect Trump disrupting AVIATION SAFETY may not be good for your legacy
It is hard to differentiate the sports pages from the political pundits as Washington approaches the Presidential Inaugural for both feature speculation and minimize facts. The below piece, with citations to four other sources, announces that the Trump Team is about to announce JSX CEO Alex Wilcox as the nominee for Federal Aviation Administrator position for a 2025-2030 term.
The article denominates this political appointee candidate as FAA Disrupter-in-Waiting and points to this airline executive as having experience as a target of airline hegemony against his proposed innovative operations.[1] The author fails to note that ECONOMIC REGULATION is the domain of the US Department of Transportation. Though the FAA defines the relevant level of safety standards for category of operations, THE DOT SETS THE ECONOMIC DIFFERENTIATION.
View from the Wing, however, defines the most significant challenges facing the FAA today:
- oversight of Boeing,
- antiquated air traffic control compounded by staffing challenges, and
- whether to kowtow to ALPA, American and Southwest in cracking down on smaller part 135 carriers who are necessary for the development of electric aircraft (and therefore ceding competitiveness to China).
The initial paragraphs suggest that Tasks one and two may not be well-suited for Mr. Wilcox. The third point is primarily in the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Transportation, economics, not safety. The innovation of eVTOLs, AAMs, UAMs and UASs will require technical engineering expertise rather than knowledge of creative operations.
The FAA Mission Statement and Activities, also highlighted above, demands a level of competence that can manage these safety and technical assignments. The President elect’s agenda points to change in Washington; relevant experience of the nomination, if lacking, will be seen by the electorate as a FAILING of THIS WHITE HOUSE. If there is an aviation disaster in the next five years, criticism will focus on the appointment of the Administrator. It should also be noted that 1600 Pennsylvania is not the sole determinator of this executive; the Senate holds the power of “ADVICE AND CONSENT.”
Disruption in aviation policy is not exclusively Executive Power. Congress through hearings, annual appropriations and reauthorization legislations establish the standards of safety as well as economic regulation. A Disruptor-in-Waiting may be able to shake things up, but Congress is there to limit what it deems inappropriate.
If this Administration feels as though the FAA has political decisions beyond its ken, it might be appropriate to remove some functions. POLITICAL OR NOT, the Co-Secretary (designate) of the Department of Government Efficiency will immediately remove the Commercial Space Transportation from the FAA elsewhere (?). There are functions (airport funding, international relations [financial support], educational grants and research contracts) that may be transferred away to make the FAA 100% technical!!!
THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THIS TECHNICAL SAFETY ORGANIZATION WOULD BEST SERVE AVIATION IF SHE/HE HAS AN EXEMPLARY RESUME. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE SKILL SET THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED:(HER COMMENTS ON AYC MODERNIZATION)
Rumors Swirl: JSX CEO Alex Wilcox Seen As Trump’s FAA Disruptor-in-Waiting
by Gary Leff on December 26, 2024
Since I wrote that JSX CEO Alex Wilcox had emerged as a leading candidate to head the FAA, there’s been a lot of discussion of this (mostly enthusiastic) across the internet. Some of it appears to just crib from my post. There’s discussion HERE, HERE, HERE AND HERE.
It’s worth pointing out that here is Vice President-elect J.D. Vance stepping off a JSX plane. There’s perhaps little political to read into chartering an aircraft from a carrier that is in the business of providing that service!
However, here’s JSX CEO Wilcox with President-elect Trump.
Aviation watchdog was first to flag the chatter of Wilcox as a finalist for FAA Administrator.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker will resign on January 20, the day of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Until a new Administrator is appointed, Assistant Administrator for Finance and Management <link to his impressive resume> Mark House is slated to assume the role of acting deputy administrator.
Bringing in ALEX WILCOX, an airline industry veteran who was with JetBlue at the beginning, served as President and COO of Indian oneworld member Kingfisher Airlines, and has found a way at JSX to achieve net promoter scores of 75 or above from customers while running an air carrier based in the U.S., would certainly be disruptive. Wilcox is outspoken about the monopoly positions held at airports by major U.S. airlines and a critic of blocking air service and competition.
The next FAA Administrator will face challenges involving oversight of Boeing, antiquated air traffic control compounded by staffing challenges, and whether to kowtow to ALPA, American and Southwest in cracking down on smaller part 135 carriers who are necessary for the development of electric aircraft (and therefore ceding competitiveness to China).
[1] This is not to say that Mr. Wilcox’s beef is unwarranted– Kill innovative, SAFE, scheduled charter service or protect labor and incumbents from competition?; Balancing SAFETY, COMPETITION & CONSUMERS ON A POLICY PLANE REQUIRES judgment. ; ALPA’s Campaign to protect Pilots is ex cathedra to DOT??? – JDA Journal
