The Federal Aviation Administration's new chief, Randy Babbitt, will face his first major test Wednesday when lawmakers question him about whether the agency has adequately policed safety at commuter airlines -- until recently one of the industry's fastest-growing segments.
Congress has become increasingly concerned about oversight of commuter airlines since 50 people were killed in the Feb. 12 crash near Buffalo, NY, of a flight operated by commuter carrier Colgan Air Inc., a unit of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. Babbitt, a pilot union leader and aviation consultant who took over running the FAA only three weeks ago, will be the key witness at Wednesday's hearing by a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee. On Thursday, he is slated to appear before a House panel.
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