What Biden's Transit Expert Pick Will Bring to the FAA's Top Job

President Joseph Biden named airport and transit executive Phil Washington as his nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, following on the heels of former Delta Air Lines executive Steve Dickson who left suddenly earlier this year.

If confirmed, Washington would take the helm of the FAA following what is a disastrous summer for airline operations in the U.S. The regulator has come under fire from airlines for what they claim are understaffed air traffic control centers, while the an elevated number of flight delays and cancellations has raised the ire of Congress. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) has described the situation as "unacceptable" and called on the Department of Transportation and FAA to take action.

Washington, born in Chicago in 1958, would bring broad transportation m