The Senate voted to confirm acting Federal Aviation Administration lead Michael Huerta as the agency’s full-time administrator for a five-year term, ATW Online reports.
Huerta, originally nominated to the full-time position in March, was named as acting administrator in December 2011 after then-administrator Randy Babbitt left the agency.
Babbitt now serves as senior vice president for labor relations at Southwest Airlines, the report said.
According to Politico, one of Huerta’s top priorities will be to oversee the agency’s transition of many air traffic control functions to the NextGen system.
Jim DeMint, a former Republican senator from South Carolina, lifted his hold on Huerta’s nomination in November after the presidential election.
With the nomination of Mr Michael Huerta as Director CEO of the Federal Aviation Administration, a breakthrough resets Mr Huerta but that meets all requirements to occupy the high office of global aviation.
I wish you luck and success in managing Mr Huerta l entrusted this important position in the U.S. aerospace.
regards
ALVARO SEQUERA DUARTE
INTERNATIONAL AVIATION ANALYST