Summary

FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker resigned on Jan. 20, leaving the agency leaderless amid a major aviation crisis.

His departure followed months of clashes with Elon Musk, who criticized the FAA for imposing $600,000 in fines on SpaceX and called for Whitaker’s resignation.

Musk accused the FAA of obstructing space exploration.

Whitaker’s exit comes as the FAA faces air traffic controller shortages and a major runway collision investigation.