FAA administrator nominee Randy Babbitt won’t have the luxury of a honeymoon period in his new role, and he acknowledges that he will quickly have to grapple with major challenges ranging from modernization to labor disputes and funding questions.

Babbitt still must be confirmed by the Senate, but enough pressing issues face FAA that he is already contemplating the early stage of his tenure. Babbitt tells AviationWeek he is “looking forward to putting a [leadership] team together.” He said he already has some people in mind that he “knows a lot about.” Obviously, choosing a deputy administrator will be most crucial. He notes that the people he brings in “may not be the usual political selections,” and he will “select based on skills, not party.”

However, Babbitt stresses he “doesn’t want to suggest there aren’t good people already at the FAA.” He likened the depth of talent at FAA to “nuclear energy that can be harnessed.” One advantage Babbitt has coming into the job is that he “has been around the agency for a long time.” As well as being a former head of the Air Line Pilots Association, he has been on the FAA’s Management Advisory Council, which advises the administrator on major policy direction.

Babbitt has been exposed to process improvement projects in his current role as partner at Oliver Wyman, and he suggests some elements of this approach could be tried at FAA. It is “apparent what [organizations] can gain” from process improvement. Babbitt also said he will stress a culture of accountability at the agency.

The NextGen modernization initiative will be a major focus during Babbitt’s tenure. “This is a big investment, and we have one chance to do it right,” Babbitt said. He believes getting system user input will be a key to implementing NextGen – “I want to keep channels open” to industry,” he said.

Another major priority for Babbitt after he is confirmed will be resolving a long-running labor dispute with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. He said this is a two-part process, and the first step will be addressing the current contract that was imposed on controllers and has remained a sore point. The administration has already acknowledged that this agreement has to be revised, Babbitt said.

Controllers and the administration also have to look at the longer term, and reform the process for negotiating contracts, Babbitt believes. The current process is “too subject to politics...there needs to be a more balanced, neutral approach.” For an initiative as ambitious as NextGen, “we need employees on board,” he said.

Babbitt also wants to finally resolve the pilot flight and duty time issue. He notes that a rulemaking process has been underway for several years, and he wants to finally finish this rule. However, the fatigue question is far broader than just concerning pilots, and needs to be addressed for other aviation workers such as controllers and flight attendants, he said. In general, he believes there is a need to make sure policy is based on sound science.

Babbitt was on the review team that examined airline maintenance issues last year, after several lapses were discovered at U.S. airlines and in FAA oversight. Several “recommendations were made [by this team] that are being implemented,” and he “wants to expand on that and make sure we are doing it right” in terms of maintenance oversight.

While some in the industry might focus on his labor or pilot background, he notes that “neither of those are bad words.” However, he said he has been on both the management and labor side in his varied career. Babbitt said he has a “record of trying to be balanced,” and has “spent a lot of my life facilitating” agreements between different interests.

Photo: ALPA