Acting Executive Deputy Director, Office of International Affairs

Ian Ross currently serves as the Acting Executive Deputy Director of the Office of International Affairs (API), where he helps advance FAA priorities, manage a workforce based in Washington and 15 locations outside the US, and advise senior agency leadership on international programs.

Previously, beginning in March 2024, Ian served as the Director of the ICAO and International Training Division in the Office of International Affairs (API).  As Director, he led the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) interaction and engagement with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), inter-agency coordination, and the International Training Program to advance US international objectives. 

Ian has held many senior staff and leadership positions during his career with the FAA and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).  In 2023 to early 2024, Ian served as the Senior Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Policy, International Affairs, & Environment on key aviation matters and projects, including stakeholder interactions and external communication efforts.  Ian also served as the Manager of the Europe, Africa, and the Middle East Branch in API in 2021-2023, leading a staff of International Specialists responsible for coordinating projects and advancing FAA programs throughout the region.  While serving as the Manager, he co-chaired the Flight Plan 21 Global Governance Initiative, which led to a new governance process that ensures that FAA’s international investments align with agency objectives under the International Governance Board. 

Prior to these assignments, Ian was the FAA Senior Representative at the US Embassy in Paris, France from 2015-2021.  In this role, he served as the agency’s top expert on programs and initiatives with major counterparts in Western Europe, Turkey, and Israel, and was the agency’s liaison to ICAO’s Paris Office, as well as with the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC).  He led approximately 25 senior delegation visits that included the Secretary of Transportation, the FAA Administrator, senior FAA executives, and other US Government officials, and managed complex programs, such as the agency’s rework of its agreements with the UK during Brexit.  He chaired the Administrative Cross-Agency Committee at the Embassy, and served as an advisor on aviation matters to senior officials, including the US Ambassador.  Before his tenure in France, he held positions with the FAA’s NextGen Organization and FAA’s Flight Standards Service.  While with TSA, Ian was an International Industry Representative based in Frankfurt, Germany (2007-2010), advising major airlines in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East on aviation security policies, programs, and regulations to ensure compliance.  Earlier in his career, he also served as a part-time speechwriter with the FAA Office of Communications, as well as a staff member of the FAA Office of International Affairs, where he covered portfolios including ICAO, international training, and contracting/budgets.  He also worked closely with FAA’s Office of Aviation Security following the attacks on September 11, 2001.  

Originally from upstate New York, Mr. Ross holds a Master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Business, and a Bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University (SUNY), with a minor in Music.  He also completed continuing graduate education courses with the London School of Economics, and has limited proficiency in French.