Ian H. Ross

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 and Strategic Engagement 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.    

Canyon de Chelly National Monument - FONSI/ROD Attachment A Appendix G and I

Contrails

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has established this webpage to provide information to the public on aviation condensation trails (or “contrails” for short). 

Daniel Blum

Deputy Executive Director for the Office of Aviation Policy & Plans (APO)

Danny Blum serves the Office of Aviation Policy and Plans as a leader in developing aviation policies, goals, and priorities that cut across lines of business and staff offices, representing new and unique work for the agency. Mr. Blum spearheads critical analyses supporting the National Air Space, the Airport Improvement Program, agency policy initiatives, strategic planning, forecasts, and the economic impact of proposed regulations, policies, and congressional proposals. Mr. Blum manages high-visibility collaborations with the aviation industry, the Department of Transportation, the Office of Management and Budget, Congress, and the American public.

Mr. Blum has worked for the FAA since 2013. Most Recently, Mr. Blum served as the acting Deputy Director of National Security Programs and Incident Response. Mr. Blum led multiple divisions responsible for identifying, reporting, and managing incidents across the National Airspace System (NAS) and around the world. His tenure as Deputy Director included critical support to the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and agency-wide mitigation planning in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Prior to that, Mr. Blum served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the FAA Administrator leading agency development and planning of key strategic priorities. This role required a high level of dexterity, leadership, and coordination due to the required development, strategic planning, and implementation of initiatives such as Flight Plan 2021, tracking the implementation of legislative requirements of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, and the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act. He also represented the Administrator as needed in Crisis Response Working and Steering Groups, led FAA Deputies Meetings, and responded to high-profile and sensitive matters related to the internal and external operations of the FAA.

Before his role as Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Blum served as the Administrator’s Strategic Initiatives Group (SIG) lead. In support of the Deputy Administrator, Mr. Blum played a key role the United States Government delegation to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART), which produced a global framework for the recovery of the aviation industry after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Blum was also an FAA Fellow, detailed to the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In this role, he was responsible for supporting the Subcommittee’s efforts to draft authorizing legislation for the FAA. He also supported the Committee’s work on legislation and nominations for the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the Transportation Security Agency (TSA).

Mr. Blum was also an FAA Fellow, detailed to the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In this role, he was responsible for supporting the Subcommittee’s efforts to draft authorizing legislation for the FAA. 

Prior to joining the FAA, Mr. Blum worked for Booz Allen Hamilton, where he led the development and execution of FAA Technical Operations’ Safety Stand Down program and supported the development and implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and Quality Management Systems (QMS) for the FAA Flight Inspection Program at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center and flight inspection bases across the NAS, along with providing regulatory guidance to clients such as the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Mr. Blum received a Master of Science degree in environmental science and policy from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Environmental Studies from Dickinson College. He is a certified Project Management Professional and received Georgetown University’s Change Management for Advanced Practitioners certificate. He graduated from the Office of Management and Budget’s Performance Ambassador Program and the Congressional Research Service’s Advanced Legislative Process Institute.

Natasha “Tash” Durkins

Executive Director for the Office of Aviation Policy & Plans (APO)

Ms. Natasha “Tash” Durkins is the Executive Director for the Office of Aviation Policy & Plans (APO) within the FAA’s Office of Policy, International Affairs and Environment (APL). Tash oversees the critical support provided to the FAA Administrator in the areas of planning and policy development. Tash leads the integration of aviation policies, plans, and priorities in close partnership with the Office of the Secretary, government agencies, industry, and public sector organizations. She is known for her strong leadership and authentic approach to creating space for innovation and idea sharing.

Tash served most recently as the Vice President (VP) of Mission Support Services in the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO). She served Mission Support Services in several key leadership roles, including the acting Deputy Vice President, the Director of Policy, and the Director of the Eastern Service Center. Tash has focused her leadership on developing high-functioning teams, creating strategic and data-driven approaches to decision-making, and supporting the ATO on the leading edge of NAS evolution.

In her more than 17 years with the FAA, Tash has also held leadership positions in ATO’s Safety & Technical Training, Management Services, and System Operations. She leverages her expertise and wide agency network to contribute to the collective success of the FAA and beyond.

Tash attended Howard University and later earned a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from George Mason University. She is an author and is currently working toward becoming a certified professional coach. In her free time, Tash embraces being a foodie around DC and spending time with her husband and two dogs, Boomer and Kobe.

FAA's Annual Global Leadership Meeting

The FAA's Office of International Affairs is determining dates for the next Annual Global Leadership Meeting (AGLM).

FONSIs/ROD Attachment A: Draft Environmental Assessment and Appendices

FONSIs/ROD Attachment A: Appendices G, H, I, J, and K to the Final EA

FONSIs/ROD Attachment A: Final EA, and Appendix F to the Final EA

FONSIs/ROD Attachment A: Draft Environmental Assessment and Appendices