FAA Administrator Addresses Broad Range of Issues

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson announced the formation of a new executive council to help foster the development and safe integration into the aviation system of emerging Advanced Air Mobility technologies, during a virtual town hall with NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.

Dickson said, “The council will weigh in on certification processes for the aircraft in question, but also look more broadly at scaling such technology and integrating it into the national airspace.  That will include setting and tracking objectives for the sector, developing an integration plan and making sure safety goals are met.”

Other topics of discussion during the March 3 town hall included: 1. a shared commitment to continually reduce the aviation’s carbon footprint, including through efforts to promote the availability and use of sustainable aviation fuels; 2. the need to promote and grow a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce; 3. safety management systems; 4. a NextGen ATC system; and 5. President Biden’s plan to invest in transportation infrastructure. 

With regard to the role of aviation safety as a core business aviation value, Dickson commended National Business Aviation Association members for the adoption of safety management systems, and embracing “the power of data to reduce risk.”  He noted that the number of NBAA companies in safety-data gathering systems – like the agency’s Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing initiative – continues to grow year over year.

As government and the aviation industry look beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, Bolen commended the FAA for its work to ensure that aviation could not only survive the daunting challenges produced by the pandemic, but also to thrive in the years ahead.