Trump's choice at the head of the FAA delayed by a whistleblowing process

A Senate committee is delaying the confirmation of President Donald Trump's choice to head the federal aviation administration so that it reviews allegations concerning the candidate, Stephen Dickson, as part of a legal action for denunciation.

Delta pilot Karlene Petitt accused Delta Air Lines of retaliating against her after reporting security concerns to Dickson, who was then a senior airline executive.

Petitt said that in the still pending trial, she told Dickson and another senior executive of her concerns in January 2016 about pilot fatigue, training and other issues. Petitt alleged that she had been on leave with treatment, pending a psychiatric evaluation, after filing her report.

In completing his nomination questionnaire for the committee, Dickson made no mention of the current trial, according to a copy of the questionnaire. Dickson, who left Delta last year, was then senior vice president of flight operations.

The committee was not aware of the problem prior to Dickson's hearing, said a committee assistant to CNBC.

"Since the nomination hearing with Mr. Dickson, the committee has received new information that deserves a thorough review," committee chair Roger Wicker said in a statement. Legislators are examining the issue and have asked the Department of Transport and the White House to do the same, he said.

Trump chose Dickson to lead the agency "because of his three decades of experience at Delta where he oversaw global air operations," said White House spokesman Judd Deere. "The White House has full confidence in his appointment and expects it to be confirmed."

Legislators have not specified how long it would take to review the case.

The FAA faces numerous investigations into how it approved the Boeing 737 Max, involved in two fatal accidents five months apart, killing a total of 346 people. The FAA followed aviation regulators around the world by failing aircraft in mid-March following the second accident.

The FAA has not had a permanent chief since the resignation of Michael Huerta in January 2018. Daniel Elwell is currently acting chief of the agency.

Dickson has been cooperating with the investigation since the disclosure of this information, said the committee's assistant to CNBC.

Delta said its staff is encouraged to voice concerns.

"Employee reports are at the heart of our safety program and all Delta employees are encouraged and empowered to report potential problems and we do not tolerate retaliation against employees who report them." said the carrier.