US FAA Appoints David Boulter as Permanent Aviation Safety Chief

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the United States named its acting head of aviation safety, David Boulter, as the permanent head of aviation safety as the administration puts more focus on investigating the recent near-misses and other safety concerns the industry has seen.

According to Reuters, the National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating seven runway incursion events since January.

One way the FAA is hoping to reduce the number of near-misses and close calls is by holding about 90 runway safety meetings at airports around the nation between now and the end of September, as announced in an August 22 press release. It’s also giving over $120 million in grant money to airports around the nation to upgrade their runways with an emphasis on safety.

The FAA has come under criticism the past year as it has been without a permanent administrator since April of last year. The president’s nominee to head the agency withdrew in March; the White House has not yet nominated another candidate.

David Boulter is the first acting administrator in the FAA to become a permanent administrator since April 2022.