United Airlines executive Henry "Hank" Krakowski leads the short list of candidates vying to become chief operating officer of the Federal Aviation Administration, sources say, a post that is expected to be filled this week.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey has said that she intends to announce a new operations chief for the agency before she steps down on Thursday.
One of the top administrative posts at the federal agency, the chief operating officer is responsible for running the FAA's sprawling air-traffic-control organization, from its remote radar installations to the new satellite-based system the agency has vowed to install over the next decade.
The post, traditionally filled by an airline industry veteran, has been vacant since Russell Chew joined JetBlue Airways in March. Prior to joining the FAA, Chew had held a variety of operations posts at American Airlines, where he worked for 17 years.
Krakowski, a Boeing 737 captain at Chicago-based United, has served as vice president in charge of flight operations since August 2006 and is based at the company's sprawling former headquarters in Elk Grove Township.
He oversees the airline's thousands of daily flights and its pilot activities, and also acts as the public face for the airline's operations with regulators around the world.
Krakowski, at United since 1978, is said to be well-respected by fellow pilots at the carrier. He also knows more about airplanes than just how to fly them.
A former pilots union leader, Krakowski also is an experienced FAA aircraft dispatcher and a practicing airframe and power-plant mechanic.
He holds an MBA from National-Louis University and a bachelor's degree in aircraft maintenance engineering from St. Louis University.
He is also co-chairman of the FAA's commercial aviation safety team.
If he gains the FAA post, Krakowski would report to Deputy Administrator Robert Sturgell, another former United pilot. Sturgell is slated to be named acting administrator after Blakey completes her five-year term this week. Krakowski's front-runner status for the FAA post was first reported by Aviation Week.
