President Joe Biden on Wednesday nominated Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington to lead the Federal Aviation Administration.

“Phil’s deep expertise in transportation, his service in the military, and his track record helping Americans safely get where they need to go, make him the right leader to help meet today’s aviation challenges and prepare for the future,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

The U.S. Senate will need to confirm Washington’s nomination. If confirmed, he would oversee more than 43,500 employees and manage a $17.5 billion budget, a spokeswoman for the agency said.  

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock appointed Washington as the airport’s CEO in 2021. He oversees more than 30,000 workers and manages the airport’s $1.1 billion budget, a spokeswoman for the airport said.

Before serving as chief executive of Denver International Airport, Washington was CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where he managed an $8 billion budget and oversaw $18 billion to $20 billion in capital projects.

Washington moved to California after serving as CEO of the Regional Transportation District from 2000 to 2015.

He also served in the U.S. Army for 24 years, reaching the rank of command sergeant major. He was appointed to the federal Transportation Transition Agency Review Team by the Biden administration. 

“Phil Washington has made a positive and lasting impact on the Denver region for years, most recently as CEO of the third-busiest airport in the world,” Hancock said in a statement. “His expertise on public private partnerships and transportation infrastructure and his commitment to equity are respected across the country. We hate to lose him but know he will be an exceptional FAA administrator.”

The top job at the FAA has been vacant since March 31 when Steve Dickson, who was nominated to the position by former President Donald Trump in 2019, stepped down about halfway through his five-year term.

The Biden administration tapped Billy Nolen, who in December was named the FAA’s associate administrator for aviation safety, to serve as the acting FAA administrator.

The next FAA administrator will face questions about the agency’s oversight of planemaker Boeing, including its ongoing review of the 737 MAX 10.

Boeing must win certification for the largest variant of the 737 MAX before a new safety standard on cockpit alerts takes effect in December, or seek a waiver from a 2020 requirement from Congress. The FAA also is scrutinizing a number of Boeing production issues.

After two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes in five months killed 346 people, Congress passed sweeping legislation in 2020 to reform how the FAA certifies new airplanes.

The FAA is facing air traffic control staffing issues that airlines have blamed for numerous flight delays this summer.

The FAA is also dealing with the adoption of 5G C-Band and potential interference with airplane electronics. The FAA said last month that Verizon Communications and AT&T voluntarily agreed to delay some C-Band deployment.

Reuters and Denver Gazette reporter Dennis Huspeni contributed to this report.