U.S. Senate confirms former Indianapolis airline executive to lead FAA under Trump
Senators confirmed Bryan Bedford to a five-year term on a vote of 53-43, with Indiana's Republican U.S. Senators Todd Young and Jim Banks supporting his nomination. Trump first announced Bedford as his pick to lead the FAA in March.
"Bryan will work with our GREAT Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, to strongly reform the Agency, safeguard our exports, and ensure the safety of nearly one billion annual passenger movements,' Trump said in a post on Truth Social at the time.
Bedford will lead the FAA as the agency navigates the impacts of mass federal staffing cuts and plans upgrades to its air traffic control systems, following a string of deadly commercial flight accidents earlier this year.
Bedford's nomination was supported by the National Business Aviation Association and the Regional Airline Association. But the Airline Pilots Association in March expressed concerns about Bedford's nomination, noting that Republic in 2022 asked the FAA to reduce the 1,500-hour training requirement for pilots. Additionally, multiple news outlets reported during the nomination process that Bedford's biography on Republic's website claimed he had a commercial pilot certification despite FAA records showing he does not.
Bedford served as Republic's CEO from 1999 until July 2 of this year, when the regional airline announced his retirement. Republic navigated highs and lows under Bedford's leadership, including a 2016 bankruptcy filing and the construction of a new training facility in Carmel. During Bedford's tenure as CEO, Republic grew to become one of the largest regional airlines in the country
Republic Airways on July 2 named Board Chair David Grizzle as CEO following Bedford's departure.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com.
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