LIVE: F.A.A. nominee Bryan Bedford faces Senate grilling amid safety and staffing concerns

📆 6/11/2025 11:45 AM

F.A.A. News

Bryan Bedford, Senate, Safety

📆6/11/2025 11:45 AM

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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 11: Republic Airways President and CEO Bryan Bedford arrives to testify during his nomination hearing to be Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in the Russell Senate Office Building on June 11, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Bedford's nomination comes amid safety concerns at the agency following a deadly mid-air collision near Washington D.C.'s Reagan National Airport in January that killed 67 people. This comes at a critical time for the agency as staffing shortages and concerns over passenger safety loom. Bedford, age 63, spent decades of his career running regional commercial airlines, including Republic Airways where he now serves as president, chief executive and director. Members of the Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation will review Bedford’s nomination. He is expected to tell them that “if confirmed, my top priority will be public safety and in restoring the public’s confidence in flying,” according to a copy of his prepared remarks shared with The New York Times, adding that he will work “to build a new, best-in-class air traffic control system, and to rectify the chronic understaffing at our nation’s air centers.” According to The New York Times, Bedford has pledged to use his management experience in the private sector to address technology and staffing problems. These issues in particular were brought to light by the deadly Jan. 19 midair collision between a commercial flight and a military helicopter at Ronald Reagan National Airport. The next administrator will face pressure to address the problems amid additional staffing cuts in other departments as part of the Trump administration’s plan to downsize the federal government. The New York Times reports that Bedford has criticized the current agency for “lack of strategic vision” and a “profound lack of trust with and within the agency.” Democrats have raised concerns over Bedford, citing his disdain for a rule requiring first officers to have a minimum of 1,500 flight hours believing that this will further complicate the agency’s efforts to restore public confidence in air travel. Bedford has argued that the rule is “arbitrary” and would “hasten the growing pilot shortage” during a congressional testimony in 2014. Republic Airways under Bedford’s leadership petitioned the F.A.A. in 2022 to allow graduates of the company’s flight school to be exempt from the 1,500 hours requirement stating that they offered rigorous training.Senator Tammy Duckworth who is on the subcommittee said Tuesday that she is “still concerned he would unilaterally decrease that requirement,” noting that as administrator he would have some discretion to waive the rule for pilots in certain circumstances. However, a spokesperson for the Transportation Department said that if confirmed, Bedford would follow the laws of Congress, which set the requirement to 1,500 flight hours. Democrats are also expected to thoroughly question Bedford on comments he made in 2019 alluding to being in favor of allowing commercial flights to be flown by a single pilot and moving away from the standard two-pilot requirement. “I don’t think in my lifetime we’re going to see the commercial passenger flying done with less than two pilots,” he said during a talk at Liberty University. “I don’t think the Congress has the courage, even if the data and the science suggests it makes sense.” Chairman of the commerce committee Senator Ted Cruz said last week that he would “look forward to thoroughly evaluating” Bedford’s candidacy. “The next F.A.A. administrator will need to provide strong and steady leadership to complete modernization projects in a timely manner but also to identify and implement what the future of the F.A.A. and America’s airspace should be,” he said.

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Bryan Bedford Senate Safety Staffing Air Traffic Control Public Confidence Pilot Requirement

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LIVE: F.A.A. nominee Bryan Bedford faces Senate grilling amid safety and staffing concernsPresident Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.), Bryan Bedford, will face questioning from senators on Wednesday.
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