Fil-Am named assistant administrator of US airports

FAA appointee Eduardo Angeles. AJPRESS PHOTO

LOS ANGELES, California—A Filipino-American was recently named the new US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) associate administrator for airports.

Eduardo Angeles will be appointed in early July, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta announced on Wednesday, May 14, according to a report from Aviation News Today.

The position was previously held by Christa Fornarotto, who vacated the office in January this year.

Angeles told Asian Journal that he is “truly honored and humbled” to be an FAA administrator under President Barack Obama’s administration.

“I am now a fabric of American history, as a member of the team of the first African-American US President,” Angeles said via email correspondence.

Angeles said that as an immigrant from the Philippines raised by a single mom, who worked as a maid in the Army Presidio in San Francisco, the “opportunity to serve this great nation is an exclamation point on my already fulfilled American Dream.”

Angeles also recognized the importance of his appointment to the Filipino community.

“I can only hope that my fellow Filipino immigrants, who come from a similar marginalized background, can find inspiration in my personal story of success. Kaya natin lahat!,” Angeles said.

Angeles currently serves as the senior assistant city attorney in Los Angeles, where he is assigned to the LA Department of Water and Power.

Previously, Angeles was the general counsel to Los Angeles World Airports. During his tenure with the LA World Airports, Angeles oversaw legal matters for four major airports in Southern California: LAX, Ontario, Van Nuys and Palmdale.

Prior to his stint in Los Angeles, Angeles worked for the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, as an in-house counsel for the San Francisco International Airport.

Angeles said that former colleagues recommended him for the position to the White House Personnel Office because of his previous work with airports in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

He underwent an extensive vetting process, which took months to complete, and which included interviews with officials at the highest levels in federal government.

He was interviewed personally by Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and FAA’s Administrator Huerta.

As the new associate administrator for airports, Angeles said that he will prioritize safety and security.

“I intend to dedicate my efforts during my tenure at the FAA assuring the safety and security of the traveling public at airports. I will seek technological innovations and creative solutions to address these issues throughout all the airports to the entire country,” Angeles said.

Angeles also said that while he is open to new ideas, he fully intends to continue to support effective programs that have provided positive results for the FAA.