Overview

• Politico and FAA records show Bedford never held a commercial pilot license despite marketing one on Republic Airways’s website since at least 2010.
• The Department of Transportation has characterized the credential error as administrative, noting Bedford passed the necessary written and oral flight exams.
• Republic Airways removed the “commercial” pilot rating from Bedford’s profile after journalists questioned his credentials.
• At Senate hearings, Bedford was pressed on his company’s attempts to certify underqualified pilots and declined to guarantee the current 1,500-hour requirement.
• The air traffic controllers union has backed his nomination for pledging to modernize outdated radar and communication systems as the agency faces staffing shortages.