Bryan Bedford Should Not Be Leading the FAA
Trump's nominee has long lobbied to weaken pilot training regulations.
By William J. McGee, Senior Fellow for Aviation and Travel
Last week Bryan Bedford retired as CEO of Republic Airways after 26 years, making it clear he hopes to become the Federal Aviation Administration's next Administrator. Today, the full Senate is voting on his confirmation, which is expected to go through.
I’ve followed Bedford's career for some time and oppose this appointment. If you care about aviation safety, you should too.
It can't be overstated how critical an FAA Administrator is to our nation's air safety, particularly when we've seen tragic fatal accidents, terrifying air traffic control meltdowns, and disturbing staffing shortages. The office requires devotion to safety above all.
Offering weak support of aviation safety rules is one thing. But speaking out against such rules is unacceptable, as many aviation, government, and labor leaders have noted.
The pushback against Bedford largely stems from FAA's "1,500-hour rule," mandated by Congress in 2010. It evolved from the Continental Connection/Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash near Buffalo, which killed 50 and illuminated gaps in safety standards at regional airlines.
The Airline Safety Act called for requiring first officers (co-pilots) to have Airline Transport Pilot certificates, raising minimum requirements from 250 to 1,500 flight hours. It also strengthened other piloting rules.
This directly affected regional airlines flying outsourced routes for the majors. For example, no one buys tickets on Bedford's Republic, because it operates for the "Big Three" as American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express.
After Flight 3407, hearings and media coverage shocked America with tales of insufficient training, $16,000 salaries, and pilots moonlighting as baristas. As Aero Crew News noted: "The rule is also credited with helping improve pay for regional airline pilots. This has caused tension between some regional airlines and safety advocates." This "pilot shortage" was largely driven by the Big Three outsourcing for lower wages.
Bedford frequently criticizes the rule, even testifying against it before Congress in 2014. In 2022, Republic petitioned FAA to allow graduates of its own pilot school to qualify for airlines with 750 hours, half the requirement; FAA denied the request, arguing Republic's training wasn't equivalent to military pilot exemptions.
There are creative ways to enhance both quality and quantity in commercial pilot training. But as with medicine and law, experts agree on certification minimums, particularly after regional airline accidents dramatically declined after 2010.
At his Senate Commerce nomination hearing in June, Bedford stonewalled on how he'll oversee his former company Republic. But his nomination narrowly advanced along party lines: 15 Republicans voted yea, 13 Democrats nay.
Then last month Politico revealed Bedford claimed for years to be an FAA-licensed commercial airline pilot, when actually he's a private pilot, not commercially certified. He completed preliminary testing but not required training.
As an FAA-licensed dispatcher, I'm often mistakenly introduced as an air traffic controller, mechanic, or even pilot--but I always immediately correct mistakes. Yet Politico cited how Bedford's biography at Republic, the Regional Airlines Association, and other sources long included false claims. The DOT called it "an administrative error."
But don’t just take my word for it. Consider those opposing Bedford ascending to America's highest aviation safety office:
In March I asked Capt. "Sully" Sullenberger of the Miracle on the Hudson about eliminating 1,500 hours and he replied, "I'll fight for that rule until the day I die." Recently he posted a scathing indictment of Bedford: "Unfortunately, Mr. Bedford has already shown he is willing to lie about his qualifications as a pilot...And Bedford has indicated he would reduce regulations and let the airlines regulate themselves more. That's insane. Manufacturers also?"
The 1,500-hour rule exists because of the persistence of Families of Flight 3407, tirelessly lobbying Congress and the FAA since 2009. Karen Eckert, whom I've visited in Buffalo to discuss her sister's death, said in June: "The aviation industry has experienced a troubling series of incidents in recent months, and this is not the time to introduce new risks into a system that has worked remarkably well." Other Flight 3407 families also oppose Bedford: "It's 16 years later, and here we are again," said Marilyn Kausner, whose daughter was killed.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of Senate Commerce Committee, voted no on Bedford's nomination: "[Bedford] refused to recuse himself for his full term from granting his own company an exemption from this critical safety requirement."
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ranking Member of Senate Aviation Subcommittee and a former military pilot severely wounded in combat, also voted no: "Well-trained pilots are our last line of defense, and I cannot support a nominee who as a corporate executive prioritized—and gained notoriety for—his failed effort to convince the FAA to exempt him from the 1,500-hour rule and let him hire less experienced pilots."
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader, said, "The changes that Bedford has pushed for in his career are an insult to the memories we lost...that day in Buffalo."
Air Line Pilots Association, representing cockpit crews at both major and regional airlines, also expressed "concerns" about Bedford's "past efforts to revise the 1,500-hour rule."
The FAA has been grossly understaffed and underfunded since the 1980s, as AELP and others have noted. But Bedford may have already harmed his chances of working with some Members of Congress; The Air Current quoted Bedford in 2019: "If you have the unfortunate displeasure as I do to spend any time in D.C., there is no courage of leadership on the Hill right now."
Ironically, the Administrator's post shouldn't be vacant, since Michael Whitaker was appointed to a five-year term in October 2023. However, Whitaker resigned on Inauguration Day, amid widespread reports that DOGE architect Elon Musk wanted him out for personal financial reasons, not safety concerns.
The job of FAA Administrator isn’t ceremonial. It’s one of the most important safety roles in the federal government. Bedford has spent years trying to roll back pilot training standards that have saved lives, misrepresented his own credentials, and refused to say how he’d handle clear conflicts of interest. At a time when the public is already nervous about flying, we can’t afford an administrator who puts corporate convenience ahead of public safety.