FAA Taps Two Southwest Airlines Employees for Senior Leadership Roles

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it is hiring two employees from Southwest Airlines and a senior official from NetJets for key leadership roles within the agency.

The appointments bring extensive private-sector aviation experience into the top ranks of the federal body responsible for overseeing civil aviation in the United States.

Key Appointments Detailed

In a statement, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford confirmed the new hires, filling critical positions in airport administration, policy, and legal counsel. The new officials are:

• Chris Kelly, formerly a senior regulatory attorney at Southwest Airlines, will serve as the new Associate Administrator for Airports.
• Michael Ciamarra, who was Southwest's senior federal affairs director, will become the FAA's Assistant Administrator for Policy and Rulemaking.
• Jeff DeVore, who served as in-house counsel at private jet operator NetJets, will take the role of FAA Chief Counsel.

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Industry Experience Moves to Regulator

The move to appoint personnel directly from one of the nation's largest commercial carriers is significant. The new roles for Kelly and Ciamarra place them in charge of airport oversight and the critical process of shaping new aviation regulations, respectively. Their backgrounds at Southwest suggest they will bring a carrier's operational perspective to the regulatory process.

Similarly, the appointment of Jeff DeVore from NetJets, a leader in the business and private aviation sector, places an official with deep experience in that industry segment into the FAA's top legal position. These hires signal a potential focus on incorporating direct industry knowledge into the agency's policy-making and oversight functions.