The Us senate on Wednesday verified Bryan Bedford as FAA manager, placing a previous airline company exec accountable of the company in charge of making certain the safety and security and effectiveness of the country’s flight.
The last ballot was 53-43.
Bedford, that formerly functioned as chief executive officer of Republic Airways, relinquished the setting recently after leading the airline company for greater than 25 years. Throughout his period, Republic turned into one of the biggest local service providers in the country.
His election directly removed the Us senate Board on Business, Scientific Research, and Transport ballot by 15-13, with all Republican legislators enacting support and all Democrats versus.
While Bedford’s election has actually gotten extensive assistance from throughout the aeronautics market, he has actually run the gauntlet over his setting on the FAA’s 1,500-hour trip training policy.
The FAA policy calls for pilots have 1,500 hours experience in the cabin prior to they can fly for an airline.
Republic Airways Head Of State and chief executive officer Bryan Bedford indicates throughout his election hearing to be Manager of the Federal Air Travel Management (FAA) prior to the Us Senate Board on Business, Scientific Research, and Transport in the Russell Us Senate Office Complex, June 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Pictures
The policy was applied in 2013, in reaction to the 2009 Colgan Air collision, after an NTSB examination mentioned the trip staffs’s poor training and credentials as an essential safety and security problem.
In 2022, the FAA denied a request from Republic Airways looking for an exception for its pilots from the 1500-hour policy– requiring it to be lowered to 750 flying hours if the pilots satisfied particular various other needs.
The FAA rejected the demand, stating “if a decrease in hours was suitable, an exception is not the suitable automobile with which to make such a resolution.”
Throughout his election hearing, legislators examined Bedford regarding his setting on the 1,500-hour policy and whether he would certainly attempt to alter it when ending up being FAA manager.
Illinois Democratic Sen. Duckworth pushed Bedford numerous times over his dedication to the 1500-hour policy. Bedford never ever responded to the inquiry, stating he does not “think safety and security is fixed” because pilot training has actually transformed gradually, yet stated that safety and security is a top priority.
” I will certainly not curtail safety and security,” Bedford informed the board. “There will not be safety and security technicalities. I devote to you. We will certainly never ever do anything to decrease the safety and security and proficiency of our pilots.”
Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, the panel’s leading Democrat, significantly elected versus progressing Bedford’s election out of board.
Before the board ballot, Cantwell launched a declaration opposing his verification, stating Bedford “continuously declined to devote to supporting the 1500-hour policy and declined to recuse himself for his complete term from providing his very own business an exception from this important safety and security demand.”
Examination over Bedford’s setting on the policy comes with a zero hour for aeronautics safety and security which has actually remained in the limelight because January’s mid-air accident in between an American Airlines trip and a united state Military Black Hawk helicopter that eliminated every person onboard both airplane.
Adhering to Bedford’s verification, the pilots union launched a declaration congratulating Bedford and sharing a dedication to collaborating with him, while likewise stating issues over his setting on the pilot training needs.
” We have issues regarding his previous initiatives to reduced pilot training needs, and we will certainly remain to bring the line pilot’s point of view to any type of conversations regarding altering these life-saving actions and hold him to his word that safety and security is his leading concern,” Capt. Jason Ambrosi, head of state of the Air Line Pilots Organization claimed in a declaration. “Keeping strenuous training needs and maintaining 2 pilots on the trip deck in any way times continue to be leading concerns for ALPA.”
Airlines for America and the National Air Web traffic Controllers Organization likewise launched declarations congratulating Bedford and stating their dedication to collaborating with him to make certain aeronautics safety and security and to revamp and update the country’s air traffic control service systems and centers.
