FAA Chief to Leave Agency, Lead Aerospace Association
Change is coming atop the Federal Aviation Administration as Congress nears a deadline for reauthorizing the agency’s programs and the taxes that help fund them. Marion C. Blakey, whose five-year term is up Sept. 13, will become the new president and chief executive officer of the Aerospace Industries Association. AIA, which announced Blakey’s appointment on Aug. 21, says she will begin her new job on Nov. 12.
Blakey’s departure from the FAA comes at a critical time. Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline for passing an FAA reauthorization bill. For construction, a key FAA activity is its Airport Improvement Program infrastructure grants.