Head of FAA Air Transportation Tim Allelle
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy discusses the modernization of air traffic control with the Federal Aviation Administration in an exclusive interview.
FOX Business confirmed what Tim Allele, the Federal Aviation Administration Chief Operating Officer Air Transport Organization (ATO), resigned after 40 years of federal service.
Allele has led the ATO overseeing the country’s air traffic control system throughout the period of increasing scrutiny and recent well-known safety issues.
According to the statement From the FAA, “Tim Allele, ATO’s Chief Operating Officer, has chosen to retire as part of DOT’s voluntary postponed resignation program.”
The agency said Allelle is already planning to retire by the end of 2025, but it will continue for several more months to support a smooth leadership transition.
Federal Aviation Administration Air Transport COO Tim Allele is resigning. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images / Getty Images)
Arel’s departure comes as the FAA faces ongoing pressure to address safety concerns in the US airspace system. The FAA recently swapped the whole thing Air Transportation Control Management Team at Reagan National Airport (DCA) after a physical altercation inside the Control Tower and a fatal crash in January.
It’s January 29th, 2025 American Airlines Jet While approaching the DCA, they collided with a US Black Hawk helicopter across the Potomac River. All 67 people on the two aircraft were killed. Early investigations revealed that helicopters flew higher than allowed during training missions.
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The FAA responds by restricting helicopter traffic near the airport and increasing tower staffing, which could lead to slow flight arrivals. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also issued an emergency safety advisory to prevent future airborne collisions near busy airports.
Air traffic control tower after American Airlines crashed at Reagan National Airport on February 3, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Kayla Bartkowski / Getty Images / Getty Images)
In a statement regarding the DCA changes, the FAA said “we have brought in a new DCA management team to ensure strong support for the workforce.”
Tim Allele, the Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Transport (ATO), has resigned after 40 years of federal services. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images / Getty Images)
“These priorities will include checking safety data trends while ensuring that drift prevention/correction, performance management and ensuring facility training are robust and consistently meet national standards.”
DCA averaged an average of 392 departures per day in January this year, according to a report from the Metropolitan Washington Airport Association.