By David Shepardson and Eric M. Johnson
WASHINGTON/SEATTLE (Reuters) -The head of the Federal Aviation Administration who oversaw the return of the Boeing 737 MAX after two fatal crashes grounded the plane and the agency’s zero tolerance toward unruly passengers will resign on March 31, the agency confirmed late Wednesday.
FAA Administrator Steve Dickson, who took over in August 2019, has faced criticism over the standoff between aviation and telecommunications industries over the deployment of 5G wireless spectrum.
Dickson, a former Delta Air Lines executive and pilot, is about half-way through his five-term as the head of the 45,000-employee agency that oversees U.S. airspace.
In late 2020, Dickson personally flew the 737 MAX before he allowed it to return to operations and has repeatedly said Boeing must do more to improve.
“After sometimes long and unavoidable periods of separation from my loved ones during the pandemic, it is time to devote my full time and attention to them,” Dickson wrote in an email to staff.
(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Shri Navaratnam)
