U.S. FAA names new aviation safety chief

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WestJet’s vice president for safety, security and quality  named to FAA Top Career Safety Position

Pilot for WestJet and before AA; safety jobs at both

Challenge: deal with organization hurt by Max 8, revised P23 and SMS acceptance in the field

WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday said it has tapped Billy Nolen to head the agency’s aviation safety organization.

Nolen, who has most recently been vice president for safety, security and quality for WestJet Airlines in Canada, will begin early next year as the FAA’s associate administrator for aviation safety, leading a team of more than 7,600 FAA employees. Nolen began his professional career in 1989 as a pilot for American Airlines and later became the airline’s managing director for corporate safety and regulatory affairs.

The FAA’s safety efforts and oversight of Boeing have come under fire after two fatal 737 MAX crashes in a five-month period killed 346 people. Congress in December 2020 passed legislation to reform how the FAA certifies new airplanes and delegates some duties to manufacturers like Boeing. (Reporting by David Shepardson)

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