Biden Nominates Hyundai Motor's U.S. Subsidiary Executive as FAA Administrator

An executive from Hyundai Motor Group's U.S. subsidiary has been nominated as the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which oversees aviation regulations in the United States.

The White House announced that President Joe Biden plans to nominate Michael Whitaker, former Deputy Administrator of the FAA, as the FAA Administrator on the 7th (local time). Whitaker’s nomination will be formally confirmed after a Senate confirmation hearing.

Whitaker currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Supernal, Hyundai Motor Group’s urban air mobility (UAM) subsidiary, where he is responsible for legal and regulatory affairs. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Supernal is developing vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) air taxis.

The White House explained that Whitaker served as Deputy Administrator of the FAA from 2013 to 2016 during the Barack Obama administration and played a key role in successfully transitioning the U.S. air traffic control system from radar-based to satellite-based technology during his tenure.

Prior to that, he was the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of InterGlobe Enterprises, which operates Indigo, India’s largest travel company and airline, and worked for 15 years at United Airlines in regulatory affairs.

Earlier, President Biden had nominated Philip Washington, CEO of Denver International Airport, as FAA Administrator last year, but the Senate Commerce Committee’s Republican and independent members delayed confirmation due to concerns over Washington’s lack of experience, leading to the withdrawal of his nomination in March.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.