First responders were searching the Potomac River on Thursday after the nation’s worst airline crash in almost a quarter century. The agency responsible for regulating civil air travel lacked a Senate-approved leader.
President Trump made a move Thursday by appointing Christopher Rocheleau as the acting administrator of the FAA. Rocheleau is a 22-year veteran. Trump described Rocheleau as “highly respected.”
Michael Whitaker resigned as the Federal Aviation Administration’s administrator when President Trump assumed office last week. Whitaker was in the position for 15 months. The last few were marred by criticisms from Elon Musk, a prominent Trump supporter who is now a White House official. He complained about the agency’s oversight over his company SpaceX.
Trump officially appointed Rocheleau in a memo that he signed Thursday afternoon in the Oval Office.
Trump said, “He is a very competent guy.”
Who is Christopher Rochelau?
Rocheleau has served at the FAA for three different stints. He was named by Trump last week as deputy administrator and assumed the title of acting administrator on Thursday morning. This happened hours after a collision between an American Airlines plane with 64 passengers and an Army helicopter with three people. Rocheleau was most recently chief operating officer for the National Business Aviation Association. He was previously the FAA’s associate administrator of aviation safety. His new job began in 2022. A former U.S. Air Force officer worked previously for the Transportation Security Administration.
Why Whitaker Stepped Down?
Whitaker announced his resignation in December. Whitaker was one of many agency heads to step down when the new White House administration began. He did not attribute his resignation publicly to Elon Musk or the incoming administration. The FAA administrator’s position is confirmed by the Senate and has a term of five years. Whitaker, who was confirmed unanimously in October 2023 to fill a position that had been held by acting administrators from March 2022 onwards, has served as FAA administrator for the past five years.
What Did Musk Have to Say About Whitaker?
Musk complained publicly about Whitaker, the FAA, and Whitaker after the FAA imposed fines of $600,000 on SpaceX for missions launched without approval. Musk accused the FAA of “harassing SpaceX with nonsense.” Musk wrote on his social media page in September that Whitaker should “resign”.
What is an Acting Administrator?
Rocheleau is the fourth acting administrator of the FAA since 2018. She will take the helm without Senate confirmation. The FAA has had a turbulent seven-year period. It faced criticism for its oversight following two Boeing crashes, in 2018 and 2019. Later, it dealt with an increase in unruly behavior among passengers, both during and after COVID-19 mask regulations.
What About the Transportation Secretary?
Former Rep. Sean Duffy was sworn in as Secretary of Transportation on Tuesday, after being confirmed by the Senate in a 77-22 vote. The Department of Transportation includes the FAA. Duffy posted on social media Thursday that, “I want the families of the victims to know that they have my word: I will not rest until you have the truth.”
“I will find answers to how this happened. I have directed every relevant agency to immediately investigate what went wrong, and I will not tolerate delays or bureaucratic excuses,” Duffy wrote. “If there was negligence, incompetence, or failure anywhere in the system, we will find it—and I will fix it.”
