Expert Opinion
AIN Blog: FAA Administrator Babbitt's Big Mistake
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt Arrested for Driving Under the Influence
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt is on a leave of absence.
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt is on a leave of absence.

The news that FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt was arrested for driving while intoxicated on Saturday (December 3) raises some interesting questions. The news didn’t erupt until today, and Babbitt’s bosses at the Department of Transportation issued a statement, saying, “Administrator Babbitt has requested, effective immediately, to take a leave of absence from the FAA. That request has been granted and Deputy Administrator Michael Huerta will serve as acting administrator. DOT officials are in discussions with legal counsel about Administrator Babbitt’s employment status.”

The immediate reaction from colleagues I’ve spoken to has been, how could the head of a major agency like the FAA allow himself to get into such trouble? Doesn’t he know better? Shouldn’t he, although he wasn’t flying an airplane, abide by the eight-hour bottle-to-throttle regulation?

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Matt Thurber
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