White House nominates Denver Airport chief for top FAA post

The White House is tapping Phil Washington, the director of Denver International Airport, to lead the Federal Aviation Administration.

The nomination, announced Wednesday in a statement, is to fill a post that has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since Steve Dickson resigned from the aviation agency in March, about halfway through his five-year term. Washington, who Bloomberg reported last month was in line to receive the nomination, will now face confirmation in the closely divided Senate.

If approved, Washington will face a long list of challenges as the FAA attempts to impose multiple reforms targeting how airliners are certified, prompted by two fatal crashes on Boeing Co. 737 Max jets, and mediates a dispute between telecommunication companies and airlines over new 5G service.

The agency is also under fire from airlines over air traffic control issues that have contributed to flight cancellations.

Washington headed President Joe Biden’s transition team for transportation-related agencies after the 2020 election. He became head of Denver’s airport about a year ago. He previously served as chief executive officer of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority for six years and was CEO of Denver Regional Transportation District before that.