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Stephen Dickson (executive)

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Stephen Marshall Dickson (born September 3, 1957) is an American former Air Force pilot and Delta Air Lines executive who served as the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration from August 2019 to March 2022.

Steve Dickson
18th Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
In office
August 12, 2019 – March 31, 2022
PresidentDonald Trump
Joe Biden
DeputyDaniel Elwell
Preceded byMichael Huerta
Succeeded byBilly Nolen
Personal details
Born
Stephen Marshall Dickson

(1957-09-03) September 3, 1957 (age 67)
Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationUnited States Air Force Academy (BS)
Georgia State University (JD)

Prior to Dickson's appointment to the Federal Aviation Administration, he spent 27 years at Delta, first as a pilot and later overseeing pilots as the senior vice president of flight operations until he retired. In March 2019, President Donald Trump nominated Dickson to be Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Chairman of the Air Traffic Services Committee.[1] On July 27, the United States Senate confirmed Dickson in a 52–40 vote.[2] He was sworn in as Administrator by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on August 12, 2019.[3]

Early life and education

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Dickson was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana. A former United States Air Force Officer and F-15 fighter pilot, Dickson is a Distinguished Graduate of the Class of 1979 at the United States Air Force Academy, as well as a graduate of the Georgia State University College of Law, magna cum laude.[4]

Career

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Before moving to the Federal Aviation Administration, Stephen Dickson retired from service as the Senior Vice President-Flight Operations for Delta Air Lines. In this role, he was responsible for the safety and operational performance of Delta's global flight operations, as well as pilot training, crew resources, crew scheduling, and regulatory compliance. He also flew in line operations as an Airbus A320 captain, and previously flew the Boeing 727, 737, 757, and 767 during his career. Dickson is a strong advocate for commercial aviation safety and improvements to the US National Airspace System, having served as chairman of several industry stakeholder groups and Federal advisory committees.

After retiring from Delta, Dickson was nominated by President Trump to be the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration prior to 15 May.[5] He was confirmed in the Senate Commerce Committee by a 14–12 vote on July 10, 2019, to lead an outfit which had been without a permanent head since January 2018.[6] He was confirmed by a 52–40 vote of the full Senate on July 24, and replaced Acting Administrator Daniel Elwell in the midst of the Boeing 737 MAX groundings.[7][8] Senator Maria Cantwell led the opposition to Dickson's appointment because of his retaliation against a whistleblower at Delta.[9]

Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration

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Dickson's first action as the Administrator of the FAA was inviting pilots for simulator tests of the Boeing 737 MAX, which was announced on August 22, 2019.[10] On September 18 the same year, Dickson announced that he would only re-certify the MAX once he flew the aircraft himself to test the new software.[11][12] He completed the test flight on September 30, 2020, saying that the aircraft responded well, although the FAA was not yet ready to re-certify it.[13]

In November 2019 the FAA revoked Boeing's authority to issue airworthiness certificates for each new individual 737 MAX aircraft. This authority had previously been held under the Organization Designation Authorization.[14] The FAA reiterated that the aircraft was not ready for re-certification.[15]

On February 16, 2022, Dickson announced his resignation as FAA Administrator, effective March 31, 2022.[16]

Criticism

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In 2020 a Labor Department judge ruled that while serving as Vice President of Delta Air Lines Dickson was complicit in synthesizing and weaponizing claims of psychological unfitness against a pilot at the company who had brought concerns to their Safety Department's attention. Dickson and vice president of flight operations Jim Graham retaliated against the pilot's whistleblower claims by having a doctor falsely diagnose the pilot with bipolar disorder to force her out of the company. Delta later launched an unsuccessful appeal and was ordered to reinstate the pilot and pay her $500,000.[9][17][18]

References

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  1. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Individual to a Key Administration Post". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved August 14, 2019 – via National Archives.
  2. ^ "Senate Confirms Former Delta Executive Stephen Dickson as FAA Administrator". Transport Topics. July 24, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  3. ^ "Press Release – Stephen M. Dickson Sworn in as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration". www.faa.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  4. ^ "Stephen M. Dickson Sworn in as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration". www.AviationPros.com. August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  5. ^ Krisher, Tom; Koenig, David (May 15, 2019). "Trump nominee to lead FAA Dickson faces safety questions on Capitol Hill". USA Today. Associated Press.
  6. ^ "Trump's pick to lead the FAA clears Senate hurdle, despite opposition over whistleblower lawsuit". CNBC. July 10, 2019.
  7. ^ "New head of the FAA inherits an agency in turmoil after Boeing 737 Max crashes". CNBC. July 24, 2019.
  8. ^ "Senate Confirms Former Delta Executive Stephen Dickson as FAA Administrator". Transport Topics. July 24, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Delta 'weaponized' mental health rules against a pilot. She fought back". The Seattle Times. October 26, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  10. ^ Rucinski, Tracy; Shepardson, David (August 23, 2019). "FAA says it will invite Boeing 737 MAX pilots from across the world for its crucial simulator tests". Business Insider France.
  11. ^ LeBeau, Phil (September 18, 2019). "FAA chief says he won't certify the Boeing 737 Max until he flies the plane himself". CNBC. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  12. ^ Farley, Glenn (September 18, 2019). "Boeing 737 MAX won't fly until new FAA chief is satisfied with software fix". KING. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  13. ^ Mattise, Nathan (October 1, 2020). "FAA chief tests a Boeing 737 MAX—including its infamous flight control software". Ars Technica. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  14. ^ Hemmerdinger, Jon (November 27, 2019). "FAA takes 737 Max airworthiness certificate issuance from Boeing". Flightglobal.com.
  15. ^ LeBeau, Phil (November 26, 2019). "FAA says it again: Boeing's 737 Max is not ready for certification". CNBC. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  16. ^ "FAA administrator Steve Dickson to resign next month". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  17. ^ "FAA Chief Had Helped Delta Retaliate Against Whistleblower, Administrative Judge Rules". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  18. ^ "Arbitrator rules that FAA chief aided retaliation case". Associated Press. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
 
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