President Obama has selected J. Randolph “Randy” Babbitt, former president of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  A former pilot, Babbitt served as President and CEO of US ALPA, the world’s largest professional airline pilots’ union representing more than 50,000 pilots in the United States and Canada. Babbitt currently is a partner of Oliver Wyman Group, a worldwide aviation consulting firm.

In response to Babbitt’s nomination, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) president Patrick Forrey stated:

The most critically urgent task facing Mr. Babbitt in terms of safety and labor relations is returning to the bargaining table with NATCA to end nearly 1,000 days of imposed terms and conditions of employment and reach a collective bargaining agreement. I am confident that this will not only be the first thing on Mr. Babbitt's to-do list but that it will be done with respect to both President Obama and Transportation Secretary LaHood's call for change in how the FAA treats its employees and how it must seek collaboration instead of confrontation.

While NATCA has concerns about the actions of the FAA Management Advisory Council under Mr. Babbitt's leadership that contributed to our current labor problems, our focus right now is putting an end to those problems and looking forward. We have placed our trust and confidence in President Obama, who has supported NATCA's safety-first interests for more than three years. Therefore, we support the president's selection and pledge our cooperation.