FAA administrator nominee’s confirmation hits a snag after lawsuit revealed
The pathway for President Trump’s nominee as FAA chief has hit a bump in the road.
A Senate committee is investigating allegations against Stephen Dickson during his time as head of flight operations at Delta Air Lines.
An ongoing lawsuit claims Dickson allowed retaliatory action against a female pilot who brought up safety concerns with him.
Dickson approved sending pilot Karlene Petitt to a psychiatrist after she gave him details of safety violation committed by Delta.
The shrink diagnosed bipolar disorder and Delta grounded her for more than a year.
Later examinations found the diagnosis to be wrong and she was later cleared to fly again.
It was all detailed in a lawsuit which Dickson failed to disclose on his nomination questionnaire to the Senate Commerce Committee.
Petitt’s attorney, Lee Seham, told CNN Dickson’s actions against his client amounted to retaliation.
"This was all a terrible mistake, but it was a terrible mistake that went on for a year and a half because of the lack of diligence that Dickson accepted," Seham said.
"Since holding the nomination hearing with Mr. Dickson, new information has come to the committee’s attention that merits further examination. The committee has been reviewing this information," said committee chairman Sen. Roger Wicker.
"The very core of our safety program is employee reporting. Every single Delta employee is encouraged and empowered to report potential concerns and we do not tolerate retaliation against employees who raise concerns," Delta spokesperson Catherine Simmons said.
Seham said there is no doubt the decision to ground Petitt was linked to the safety report she shared with Dickson and another flight operations executive.
"What’s the impact of safety in terms of the message to 12,000 pilots that after you submit a safety report you’re off to a psychiatrist?" Captain Dickson did nothing in terms of stopping what happened."
Despite the investigation, the administration expects Dickson’s nomination to be confirmed, White House spokesman Judd Deere said.
"President Trump chose Steve Dickson to head the FAA because of his almost three decades of experience at Delta where he oversaw global flight operations. The White House has complete confidence in his nomination."
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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