WASHINGTON –

U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the nomination of Michael Whitaker as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA):

“The FAA is long overdue for a permanent leader in this critical role, and we welcome progress toward that end. While this position has remained vacant, aviation policymaking has largely remained at a standstill. The U.S. Senate must work quickly to confirm an administrator and extend vital FAA programs—and Congress must come together to avoid a disastrous government shutdown, which would only exacerbate existing frictions across the travel system.”