Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Mike Whitaker directed the executive director of Air Traffic Safety Oversight (AOV) to report to him and to the Associate Administrator of Aviation Safety (AVS).
In a move recommended by an independent Safety Review Team, the change in direct reporting will strengthen the ability of the FAA to address aviation safety risks by increasing the connection between the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) and the AVS.
“Direct, candid feedback is crucial to constant improvement in aviation safety,” Whitaker said Whitaker. “And that is why I have provided a direct line from the person who independently assesses the safety of air navigation to me, the head of the agency.”
The new AOV executive director, Nick Fuller, will be responsible for directing the independent, risk-based, data-driven safety oversight of air navigation services. Fuller formerly served as the deputy vice president of ATO Safety and Technical Training and has managed air traffic operations at several different levels. Fuller began his career as an air traffic control specialist for the U.S. Navy.
In March, the FAA held a Safety Summit to look at the data and ask hard questions about aviation safety. The move to commission the Safety Review Team came out of that summit, officials said. In addition to providing a direct line from the AOV executive director to Whitaker, the FAA has taken action to increase the number of air traffic controllers in its workforce.