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Mike Whitaker, head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), announced on Thursday that he will resign in January ahead of President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Whitaker announced his upcoming departure to employees of the agency after leading the FAA since October 2023.
“The United States is the safest and most complex airspace in the world, and that is because of your commitment to the safety of the flying public,” Whitaker said in the message to employees. “This has been the best and most challenging job of my career, and I wanted you to hear directly from me that my tenure will come to a close on January 20, 2025.”
The FAA has long been considered a non-partisan position in Washington. However, Whitaker and SpaceX leader Elon Musk have faced some disputes over the agency’s alleged efforts to slow down the development of the company’s Starship rocket after a debut launch exploded in September 2023.
Former U.S. Representative Sean Duffy, Trump’s nominee to head the Transportation Department, told Reuters on Thursday that Trump will nominate a new FAA administrator “who is strong and capable and ready to roll.”
He added that a deputy will be in place on Jan. 20 to oversee the agency, focusing on sufficient air traffic controllers and “that we have safe planes coming out of Boeing.”
The move comes days after FBI Director Christopher Wray also announced his upcoming resignation. Trump reacted to FBI Director Christopher Wray’s resignation announcement on Wednesday, calling it a “great day” for America.
“The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice. I just don’t know what happened to him. We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans,” Trump began in a Truth Social post.
The president blasted Wray’s involvement in raiding his Mar-a-Lago home, along with the FBI’s part in impeaching and indicting him.
“Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America. They have used their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them,” Trump stated.
