President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the former chief operating officer of the National Business Aviation Association, Chris Rocheleau, will serve as the Federal Aviation Administration’s acting commissioner in the wake of Wednesday’s passenger plane collision near Washington, DC.
Rocheleau, who Trump called “highly respected” in remarks from the White House press briefing room Thursday, joined a line of officials on hand for Trump’s remarks on the deadly collision.
Also in the room for Trump’s remarks were newly sworn-in Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy.
As CNN reported earlier Thursday, Mike Whitaker, who headed up the Federal Aviation Administration during the Biden administration, stepped down ahead of the new administration and the position has yet to be filled, leaving the aviation agency without a key leader during one of the deadliest aviation crashes in American history.
