FILE PHOTO: Bryan Bedford, chairman and chief executive officer of Republic Airways Holdings Inc., speaks at the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) 2011 convention in Denver, Colorado, U.S., on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011.
Matthew Staver | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday voted 15 to 13 to approve the nomination of Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford to head the Federal Aviation Administration.
All Republicans voted in favor, while Democrats voted against after some cited Bedford’s refusal to commit to uphold the 1,500-hour training rule for co-pilots.
The Trump administration wants at least $20 billion to completely overhaul the FAA’s air traffic control system after a mid-air collision on January 29 between a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines jet near Washington Reagan National Airport. All 67 people aboard the aircraft died.