FAA says airlines are no longer its 'customers'

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FAA says airlines are no longer its 'customers'
By JOAN LOWY (AP)

WASHINGTON — Responding to criticism that his agency has become too
cozy with companies it regulates, the new head of the Federal Aviation
Administration said Thursday the FAA will stop calling airlines
"customers," as he announced steps to ensure air carriers comply with
safety orders.

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, who took over the agency in June,
outlined a series of initiatives that address complaints by members of
Congress and others that the agency's relationship with airlines was
placing the industry's economic interests above passengers' safety.

During the Bush administration, the FAA adopted a business model for
evaluating its performance and began calling airlines, aircraft
manufacturers and others that it regulates "customers." The new term
is "stakeholder."