The recent horrific midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport serves as a devastating reminder that aviation safety requires constant vigilance and strong leadership. With the management of our nation’s aerospace infrastructure shifting into the spotlight in the wake of this tragic incident, filling the vacant Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrator role is a task that has suddenly become more pressing.
Yet, while the urgency to address this leadership gap is evident, it remains essential that a thorough and deliberate selection process also take place. Evaluating potential candidates to ensure the chosen person possesses both the technical expertise and the leadership capabilities necessary to effectively address current aviation safety challenges is essential. Of overriding importance is the need to strengthen the regulatory framework that protects millions of air travelers each day.
Among the short list of candidates under consideration for FAA administrator, one name stands out as a pressing concern – JSX CEO Alex Wilcox. Recent coverage indicates that he may be the front-runner to take over at the agency, but his record seems to run counter to the thinking of the current Administration and warrants further vetting.
For starters, Mr. Wilcox has been an outspoken supporter of the very DEI policies that President Trump believes caused this recent aviation disaster and has promised the nation to eradicate from the federal government. This divergence in thinking in and of itself would seem to be an immediate disqualification.
As the head of JSX, Mr. Wilcox has boasted of having achieved a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. This scorecard ranks businesses based on adherence to radical LGBTQ+ policies, including guidelines to transition genders, patronize LGBTQ-owned suppliers, and provide extra health benefits for transgender workers. He even referred to the recognition as, "one of the great honors of my 30+ year career in aviation.” Under Wilcox's leadership, JSX also went so far as to publicly support Black Lives Matter, saying, “We stand in solidarity as allies against racism, social injustice, and inequality," and as part of this initiative, he mandated unconscious bias training for his employees.
As if this embrace of such radical ideologies were not concerning enough, Mr. Wilcox’s business practices as a private sector CEO warrant further scrutiny as well. Under his leadership, JSX’s predecessor, JetSuite, was driven to bankruptcy after years of financial and corporate mismanagement. This bankruptcy calls into question his ability to lead the FAA with its $27 billion budget.
According to reports, JetSuite spent approximately $105 million in cash between 2016 and the company’s 2020 bankruptcy – leaving only $1 million in cash reserves once it became insolvent. This dire fiscal condition left customers who had already made pre-paid flight purchases stranded with long-awaited bankruptcy payments amounting to as little as “one-half of a cent per dollar.” JetSuite, JSX, and related companies have also been hit with several large tax liens in recent years, further highlighting the financial trouble the company has faced during Wilcox’s tenure. In fact, as recently as March 2023, Wilcox publicly admitted that JSX is and was not profitable.
The Federal Aviation Administration will face a complex array of challenges in the coming years. Modernizing aging air traffic control infrastructure, integrating an increasing number of unmanned aerial vehicles into the national airspace, addressing critical staffing shortages among air traffic controllers, and implementing enhanced safety protocols while supporting the sustained growth in commercial air travel anticipated through 2030 will constitute just some of them. Managing them well will not be easy, but American travelers and the tens of thousands of people employed by the FAA need and deserve a leader who will be up to the job and able to see them through.
As a former Member of Congress who served on the Committee for Transportation and Infrastructure, which has jurisdiction over aviation, I know all too well the importance of ensuring that a well-qualified and highly competent American with a solid track record of success helm the FAA to ensure that aviation safety is secured for both passengers, aircraft personnel and the public. Given his questionable track record at the helm of private sector ventures, one cannot help but question Mr. Wilcox’s fitness for the top job at the FAA. It is imperative that before a pick should be named, the Trump Administration must scrutinize the past record of each candidate being considered to ensure that the values of strong leadership and aviation safety be protected.
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