FAA Head Of ATC Takes Early Retirement
With 33 years of FAA service, Tim Arel will participate in the current administration’s voluntary deferred retirement program.
In the wake of controversy over air traffic control issues at Reagan Washington National Airport, FAA’s COO of Air Traffic Management will step down. Credit: Wikimedia
Tim Arel, age 57, is stepping down from his post as Chief Operating Officer of the FAA air traffic organization. Arel has 40 years of government service, including 33 years at the FAA. He assumed the role of air traffic COO in 2022. According to a spokesperson, he is participating in the voluntary deferred retirement program offered by the current Republican administration.
In a Reuters report, the spokesperson said Arel had originally planned to retire at year-end 2025. The spokesperson said, “[Arel] has committed to stay for the next few months to ensure a smooth transition.”
The announcement comes as Congress is deliberating on the FAA’s response to concerns over close calls at Reagan Washington National Airport in the time frame preceding the fatal Jan. 29 collision involving a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet. All on board both aircraft died, a total of 67 fatalities.
Arel is a U.S. Air Force veteran and a former emergency medical technician, firefighter, 911 telephone operator and a police officer. He is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute’s Leadership for a Democratic Society program and also graduated from the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Driving Government Performance program.
