You probably remember the horrific January 2025 crash over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet. Sixty-seven people were killed in the tragedy.
The following day, President Trump tapped aviation expert Chris Rocheleau to become the Acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, a role he held until July of that year, when a new permanent administrator (Bryan Bedford) was appointed. Rocheleau then became deputy administrator.
That must have been an incredibly stressful start to the job for Rocheleau. Now he’s returning to private life:
In a letter to his colleagues, Rocheleau said next week will be his last at the FAA and called his return to the agency a “true privilege.” Rocheleau spent two decades at the FAA prior to joining the NBAA for the first time, serving in numerous roles — a tenure interrupted in the mid-2000s by a stint at the newly-formed Transportation Security Administration.
Rocheleau wrote in his letter he was “especially proud” of the FAA’s use of AI to “enhance aviation safety” and its launch of the Modern Skies Coalition to advance the air traffic control system, among other initiatives started during his tenure.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy hailed Rocheleau’s service and for his taking on the responsibility at such a crucial time.
I want to extend my deep thanks to Chris Rocheleau for his years of service, leadership, and firm dedication to aviation safety.
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) July 30, 2026
Chris jumped into action on the night of the tragic midair collision — just 48 hours into the job — and showed remarkable strength.
In the days… https://t.co/hP4rXZ3mWo
I want to extend my deep thanks to Chris Rocheleau for his years of service, leadership, and firm dedication to aviation safety.
Chris jumped into action on the night of the tragic midair collision — just 48 hours into the job — and showed remarkable strength.
In the days following the crash, Chris helped us keep our skies safe — eliminating mixed traffic over the Potomac and a number of other immediate safety reforms.
He’s also been a champion of our historic air traffic control modernization campaign, controller hiring surge, and first of its kind eVTOL program.
The DOT and FAA will miss his leadership and wish him all the best in his next adventure.
NTSB: Army Chopper in Dreadful DC Crash Flying Too High
He will return to overseeing the National Business Aviation Association, a U.S. trade association that represents more than 10,000 companies and professionals and advocates for issues ranging from FAA policies to air traffic control modernization.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association said Friday that Rocheleau performed well under enormous pressure:
GAMA president and CEO, James Viola, issued the following statement regarding the announcement that FAA Deputy Administrator, Chris Rocheleau, is departing the agency:
— GAMA (@GAManufacturers) July 31, 2026
“On behalf of GAMA and its membership, I would like to thank Deputy Administrator Rocheleau for his dedicated… pic.twitter.com/h6EUjBCDyU
GAMA president and CEO, James Viola, issued the following statement regarding the announcement that FAA Deputy Administrator, Chris Rocheleau, is departing the agency:
“On behalf of GAMA and its membership, I would like to thank Deputy Administrator Rocheleau for his dedicated service and leadership to the FAA. When Chris rejoined the FAA in 2025, as FAA Acting Administrator, he was immediately confronted with guiding and supporting the agency in the aftermath of tragic midair accident at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. During his time at the FAA, Chris met the challenges head-on and worked steadfastly to strengthen aviation safety, advance innovation and modernize the U.S air traffic control system. He has done tremendous job working with DOT Secretary Duffy, FAA Administrator Bedford and the entire FAA organization to help further advance the aviation industry.”
“I was proud to be able to work with so many people to get through that moment,” Rocheleau said when he announced he was moving on.
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