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Ali
Bahrami, the FAA’s associate administrator for aviation safety
since July 2017, had faced criticism from some U.S. lawmakers
and family members of those killed in two fatal Boeing 737 MAX
crashes that led to the plane's 20-month grounding, which was
lifted in November. Officials said it was Bahrami's decision to
leave the agency.
The FAA said it will begin an immediate search for a successor.
Deputy Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Chris
Rocheleau, a longtime FAA employee, will serve as interim head
of the Office of Aviation Safety.
"This was not an easy decision," Bahrami, who worked at the FAA
in various positions for 30 years, told staff in an email. "I’ve
been blessed with an incredible career, and now it’s time for me
to spend more time with my family and focus on my next chapter."
In December, Congress passed sweeping legislation to reform how
the FAA certifies new airplanes. It also boosts FAA oversight of
aircraft manufacturers, requires disclosure of critical safety
information and provide new whistleblower protections.
A House of Representatives report released in September said the
two fatal 737 MAX crashes "were the horrific culmination of a
series of faulty technical assumptions by Boeing’s engineers, a
lack of transparency on the part of Boeing’s management, and
grossly insufficient oversight by the FAA."
An FAA survey released in August found some FAA employees
reported facing "strong" external pressure from industry and
raised alarms that the agency does not always prioritize air
safety.
The survey quoted one anonymous employee as saying that the
message was, "Don't rock the boat with Boeing."
The United States has not had a fatal U.S. passenger airline
crash since February 2009 and only one fatality due to a U.S.
passenger airline accident in that period.
Bahrami's email said the FAA had "established a solid foundation
to respond to congressional mandates and recommendations
stemming from investigations and certification reviews after the
two tragic 737 MAX accidents."
(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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