Philip Washington, CEO of Denver International Airport (DEN), has withdrawn from consideration to be the head of the Federal Aviation Administration.
News of Washington’s decision to withdraw from the nomination process first came in a March 25 tweet from U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, which read, “The FAA needs a confirmed Administrator, and Phil Washington’s transportation & military experience made him an excellent nominee. The partisan attacks and procedural obstruction he has faced are undeserved, but I respect his decision to withdraw and am grateful for his service.”
Published reports from the New York Times later said Washington was facing push back from U.S. Senate Republicans and that a planned vote this week by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Washington’s nomination had been delayed.
Washington has been DEN’s CEO since 2021 and is instrumental in leading the DEN Vision 100 program, which aims to ready the airport for the long-term goal of 100 million annual passengers.
