Over the past month and a half, President-elect Donald Trump has been quick to assemble a team for his new administration.

Yet those staffing opportunities may be growing beyond what Trump believed was possible as a senior government figure announced his resignation on Thursday. 

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) head will leave in January

According to Politico, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Mike Whitaker sent a letter to staff stating that he will resign on the day that Trump is sworn into office.

"The United States is the safest and most complex airspace in the world, and that is because of your commitment to the safety of the flying public," Whitaker declared.

FAA administrator Mike Whitaker will not serve under Trump. He told his staff today he will step down just over one year into his five-year term. https://t.co/5WXpaTFA9H

— POLITICO (@politico) December 12, 2024

"This has been the best and most challenging job of my career," the public official continued before adding that it had been the "honor of a lifetime" to head the FAA.

Politico recalled how Whitaker took over the FAA in October of 2023 following a string of near collisions. He also had the FAA put Boeing "under a microscope" due to quality control concerns at the plane builder.

Washington Democrat calls Whitaker's departure "unfortunate"

News of Whitaker's departure brought lament from Democrats, including Washington Rep. Rick Larsen, who is the ranking member of the House Transportation Committee.

Larsen provided a statement to Politico in which he praised Whitaker for "doing a great job" and called his decision to step down "unfortunate."

Boeing's Everett plant is located in the congressman's district, and he insisted that the FAA's incoming head won't need to "change or fix" current oversight plan for the aircraft manufacturer.

"The pieces are in place for Boeing to be productive long-term, not just building airplanes but building safe airplanes," Larsen added.

Trump may chose former pilot Dan Elwell to replace Whitaker

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is expected to become the next chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, and he spoke favorably as well, saying that the FAA administrator "ably led the agency during a challenging period."

Politico noted that while there has yet to be any official indication as to whom Trump may select as Whitaker's replacement, one possibility is former pilot Dan Elwell.

Elwell, who previously worked as an airline industry executive, has provided informal guidance to Trump's transition team and was acting FAA head during his first administration.