Michael Whitaker, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, will resign on January 20.

• In October 2023, Whitaker began a five-year term as the head of the FAA after being nominated by President Joe Biden.
• On January 20, when President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be inaugurated, Whitaker announced he would step down.
• In early 2022, Steve Dickson, a former Delta captain who was Trump's last appointed leader, resigned.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which is responsible for overseeing the U.S. airline industry, will be left without a leader as Mike Whitaker, its head, steps down on January 20.

Whitaker was appointed to serve a five-year term last October. He established production limits and intensified the agency's examination of Boeing following a near-disastrous door-plug rupture on a Boeing 737 Max in January, during his early tenure.

Mark House, the assistant administrator for finance and management at the FAA, will be acting as deputy administrator.

Whitaker stated that despite leadership changes, air travel has always remained stable and secure, and this transition will be no exception.

The transition team for President-elect Donald Trump's spokesman did not provide an immediate comment.

Trump has not yet appointed an FAA administrator. If he does, the nominee will face numerous challenges, such as overseeing Boeing and increasing air traffic control staff. Airline executives have complained about staffing shortages, which have caused congestion in some of the country's busiest airports.

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