Trump’s FAA Nominee Faces Scrutiny Over Aviation Safety Standards/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Bryan Bedford, Trump’s FAA administrator nominee, faced heated Senate questions over aviation safety. Lawmakers raised concerns about pilot training standards and a series of crashes and near-misses. Bedford pledged safety as a top priority and backed Trump’s plan to modernize air traffic control.
FAA Safety Concerns Take Center Stage – Quick Looks
- Bryan Bedford, Trump’s FAA nominee, questioned over air safety after recent aviation incidents.
- January’s midair collision and numerous near misses spark bipartisan concern.
- Bedford is CEO of Republic Airways with 30+ years in aviation.
- Pilot unions and Democrats worry he may weaken the 1,500-hour pilot rule.
- Bedford pledges to prioritize safety and public confidence in the FAA.
- Supports Trump’s $12.5 billion plan to modernize outdated air traffic control.
- Air traffic controller union backs Bedford due to his modernization stance.
- FAA criticized for failing to act sooner on helicopter/plane collision risk.
- Bedford refuses to commit to keeping pilot hour rule unchanged.
- Reiterates there’s no FAA plan to privatize air traffic control.
Bryan Bedford FAA Hearing: Safety, Training, and Trust – Deep Look
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, Bryan Bedford, faced intense scrutiny during a Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday as lawmakers pressed him on aviation safety following a string of alarming incidents, including a fatal midair collision in January and numerous near-misses.
Bedford, the longtime CEO of Republic Airways, defended his record and pledged that safety would be his top priority if confirmed. Despite widespread industry backing — including major airlines and air traffic controller unions — Bedford’s nomination has drawn criticism from Democrats and pilot associations, especially over concerns he may push for relaxed pilot training requirements.
At the heart of the debate is the 1,500-hour rule, a regulation adopted after a deadly 2009 crash that requires commercial pilots to log 1,500 hours of flight experience. Critics of Bedford say his airline has previously lobbied to reduce that standard due to pilot shortages.
During the hearing, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) demanded a written commitment that Bedford would not seek changes to the rule, highlighting his past efforts to undermine it. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) echoed the concern. Bedford, however, declined to provide a definitive answer.
“I don’t believe safety is static,” Bedford said. “I can commit to you that we will not have anything that will reduce safety.”
The skepticism comes as the FAA faces broader criticism. A recent report by the National Transportation Safety Board faulted the agency for not addressing risks around Ronald Reagan National Airport, where 85 near-misses were recorded prior to January’s fatal crash. While the FAA has since restricted helicopter routes and imposed new flight limits near Las Vegas, lawmakers say the agency was too slow to act.
“We shouldn’t have to lean into the second or third or fourth level of redundancy,” Bedford said, referring to the aged infrastructure. He strongly backed Trump’s $12.5 billion modernization bill, though he noted that amount is only a “down payment” on what’s really needed.
Despite safety concerns, Bedford earned support from air traffic controllers, who see him as a champion of system upgrades and controller staffing. Recent radar outages at Newark Liberty International Airport caused significant disruptions and exposed staffing weaknesses. Five air traffic controllers reportedly took trauma leave following one of the failures.
Still, Democrats are unconvinced that Bedford will resist industry pressure to loosen training standards or explore single-pilot cockpit operations, especially given Republic’s previous request to hire lower-hour pilots.
One flashpoint came when Bedford revealed that his own airline had recorded three traffic conflict warnings around Reagan National Airport since January’s crash — a reminder that real-world safety gaps persist.
He also flatly rejected any attempt to privatize air traffic control, a controversial policy that derailed Trump’s first-term efforts to overhaul the FAA.
“Privatization is not on the table,” Bedford told the Senate panel. “My focus is modernizing, not monetizing, the airspace.”
As the Senate continues evaluating his nomination, Bedford’s industry experience, modernization priorities, and measured stance on safety regulations remain under the microscope. Whether he can balance Trump’s push for reform with bipartisan demands for ironclad safety remains to be seen.
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