Washington, DC—General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) President and CEO Pete Bunce issued the following statement today about Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John Pistole’s plan to depart from the agency at the end of the year:

“Since he was sworn in as TSA Administrator in 2010, John Pistole has brought clear and consistent leadership to this extremely important federal agency, working collaboratively with aviation stakeholders to ensure the security of the aviation system. His deep knowledge, intelligence, and dedication to protecting transportation systems, informed by his 26 years at the FBI, led him to successfully introduce risk-based approaches to aviation security. Thanks in large part to his tireless efforts, the U.S. government finalized the repair station security rule to improve the security of U.S. and non-U.S. repair stations, which had languished for a decade. We appreciate Administrator Pistole’s thoughtful and frank approach in dealing with general aviation security issues, and we wish him the best in his new role in academia.”