The U.S. Senate has confirmed Stephen Dickson as FAA
administrator.
The 52-40 party line vote came Wednesday in
Washington, just two weeks after President Trump's controversial nominee won the
approval of the Senate commerce committee, also along party lines.
Stephen Dickson
Democrats opposed the nomination amid
an ongoing lawsuit filed by Delta pilot Karlene Petitt, which alleges that
Dickson played a role in retaliating against her after she reported safety
concerns while he was the carrier's senior vice president of flight
operations.
In a statement Wednesday, the trade group Airlines for
America (A4A) applauded the Senate for confirming Dickson.
"Steve Dickson is uniquely
qualified to serve as Administrator of the FAA," said A4A CEO Nicholas
Calio. "He has the
vision, knowledge and experience to lead the FAA at this crucial time for the
agency and for commercial aviation."
Dickson replaces acting FAA administrator Dan Elwell, who
has held that post since the five-year term of former FAA administrator Michael Huerta
ended in January 2018.
He takes over an embattled FAA due
to its certification of the flawed Boeing 737 Max aircraft.