Billy Nolen's tenure as acting administrator of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will end in June, US newspapers have reported, citing a letter sent by the incumbent to FAA staff on April 21.
“I told Sec. Buttigieg [Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg] and notified the White House that I will depart as a new nominee is named this summer,” Nolen said.
Buttigieg in turn praised Nolen, saying he “has kept safety as the FAA’s north star through one of the most complex periods in modern aviation.”
“I have given everything to this agency, and now it’s time to do the same for my family, who have sacrificed so much and supported me during my time at the FAA," said Nolen, who has filled in as the FAA's interim head since March 2022.
Denver Airport chief Phil Washington, the Biden administration's pick to head the FAA, was rejected by lawmakers in March, with a replacement nominee yet to be put forward by the White House.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves, a Republican congressman, said Nolen "performed admirably under difficult circumstances at a time when the FAA is dealing with a number of vacancies in top positions of leadership".