FAA Invests Millions to Build Safer, More Accessible Airports Across the U.S.

FAA Finds No Significant Environmental Impact for BOS Runway 4-Left GPS-Approaches

InfoShare (St. Louis)

Hello everyone, and thank you for coming to InfoShare. I’m Billy Nolen, the new Acting Administrator of the FAA. I might be new to the agency … having joined in December as the Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety …  but I’ve been a safety advocate for decades. I got my start with the U.S. Army and later flew for domestic and international airlines.

I know the value of InfoShare, and your participation here speaks volumes about your dedication to safety, and to the people everywhere who count on aviation as a safe and efficient form of transportation. 

I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you today, but I do plan on joining you—in person—in six months. I hope there’s room! You know you’ve got something good going on when attendance comes roaring back. We have well over 1,200 people registered for this week’s event, and by the time you see this, you may have set a new record for participation. 

I know that everyone here this week is more than ready to talk about safety, and to openly share information. By doing that, you are collectively making this industry better and safer. I’m in awe of the special bond among this group—that you are willing to stand in front of your peers and raise concerns so that others may learn. That’s only possible because of the trust you’ve built.

This is a Just Culture and a Reporting Culture in action, both of which are fundamental to a healthy Safety Culture. What’s also fundamental is InfoShare’s core rule – What’s said here, stays here. But what is learned here, goes out into the world in the form of a safer aviation system.  

I know that airlines have this process down pat – you’ve been doing this since a handful of carriers met in a room in the mid-1990s. But what’s particularly encouraging to me is all of the new sectors that are joining InfoShare—the rotorcraft industry, business aviation, OEMs. I’m hoping more and more will come to InfoShare.

On the horizon, we have whole new industries and new entrants, like drones, commercial space and advanced air mobility, coming to the airspace, and we want them to join us too. I’m reminded of the character Martin Brody, in the movie Jaws, when he told the captain, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat...”

But that’s a good thing. We can all help to spread the Safety Culture message—everyone in this business must know they can share safety concerns so together, we can reduce risks. 

Keep sharing, and keep up the great work. I can’t wait to see you next time. 

Join the FAA for Drone Safety Day

FAA Begins Investing $1B of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding into Air Traffic Control System

FAA Accepting Applications for Aviation Workforce Development Grants

WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration is seeking applications for two Aviation Workforce Development Grant programs aimed at developing and inspiring a more diverse pool of pilots and aviation maintenance technicians to join the next generation of aviation professionals. This is the FAA’s second funding opportunity for these programs. A total of $10...

President Biden, Federal Aviation Administration Deliver Historic Investments to General Aviation Airport in Kentucky

FAA Youth Task Force Announces New Members

The Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force (YIATF) welcomed two new members at its second public meeting of the year on March 31, 2022.

Reflecting the commitment to fostering an environment for creative solutions to inspire diversity in the next generation of the aviation workforce, the YIATF recruited aviation and education experts Jewel Fletcher and Andrew...

FAA, U.S. Airports Team up to Meet 2050 Net-Zero Climate Challenge

FAA Downgrades Russian Air Safety Rating

WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has downgraded the air safety rating for Russia, restricting any expansion of service or partnerships since Russia’s Federal Agency for Air Transport does not comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards. 

Under the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program, the FAA assesses the civil aviation authorities of all countries with air carriers that have applied to...