Aviation lobby groups have welcomed the US Senate’s confirmation of Jennifer Homendy as the next and 15th chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The Senate approved the nomination on 9 August.
Homendy succeeds Robert Sumwalt, who retired in June after a board tenure of 15 years, and four years as its chair.
She joined the board in August 2018, and was reconfirmed to a five-year term a year later.
“Ms. Homendy is a tireless advocate for safety, whose expertise and experience make her an excellent choice to lead this crucial transportation safety agency,” pilot union Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) says. “We look forward to continuing our aviation safety partnership with the NTSB and to working with chair Homendy in her new role to further our mutual goal of achieving the highest standards of aviation safety.”
Helicopter Association International’s (HAI) chief executive James Viola adds, “We applaud chair Homendy’s confirmation [and] we look forward to continuing our strong, productive relationship with the NTSB under Chair Homendy’s leadership.”
“Having worked with her to improve safety in the rotorcraft industry, I know Chair Homendy to be dedicated to NTSB’s mission to identify opportunities to improve transportation safety for all Americans,” he says.
Between 2004 and 2018, Homendy served as the Democratic staff director of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, which sits under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the US House of Representatives, according to her bio on the NTSB website.
Prior to that she held positions with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, and the American Iron and Steel Institute, the safety agency says.
