FAA Administrator to Address AEA Convention Attendees

Randy Babbitt, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, is the featured speaker at the upcoming AEA International Convention & Trade Show in Orlando, Fla.

As part of the FAA Leadership Panel — “What is the FAA’s National Vision?” — scheduled for Friday, April 9, Babbitt will share with attendees what’s on the organization’s radar screen in the coming years. He also will address the safety management system proposal and NextGen initiatives.

Babbitt was sworn in as the FAA’s 16th administrator in June 2009. A veteran pilot and internationally recognized expert in aviation and labor relations, Babbitt is no stranger to the FAA. He has been a member of the agency’s Management Advisory Council since 2001. In that capacity, he provided guidance to the FAA administrator regarding a variety of topics, ranging from air traffic modernization to regulatory policy. He was chairman of the council from 2004 to 2006.

Babbitt also was appointed by Mary Peters, then Department of Transportation secretary, to be a member of a special internal review team to assess safety oversight within the airline industry and the FAA.

Babbitt began his aviation career as a pilot, flying 25 years for Eastern Airlines. A skilled negotiator, he served as president and CEO for U.S. ALPA, the world’s largest professional organization of airline pilots. Up to his appointment as FAA administrator, Babbitt had been a partner with the international consulting firm Oliver Wyman.

During the AEA convention, officials from the FAA’s Small Airplane Directorate and the Transport Directorate, as well as other industry leaders, will join Babbitt on FAA Leadership Panel.

For more information or to register for the AEA convention, visit www.aea.net/convention.