Huerta Confirmed as FAA Head

The U.S. Senate confirmed Michael Huerta as administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, the Senate Commerce Committee said.

With the Jan. 1 confirmation, Huerta began a five-year term leading the agency that oversees and regulates civil aviation.

“The FAA needs a strong leader at the helm, and Administrator Huerta will provide the leadership needed to modernize air transportation and make certain it continues to function at the highest levels of safety,” Sen. John Rockefeller, chairman of the Commerce Committee, said in a statement.

Huerta had served as acting administrator since Randy Babbitt resigned in December 2011.