Airlines for America (A4A) announced that Paul Rinaldi has been named Senior Vice President, Operations and Safety. He brings to the association more than thirty years of hands-on industry experience and leadership at the highest levels.
Rinaldi began his career as a certified controller with the Washington-Dulles Tower (IAD) in 1991, and he rose through the ranks of elected leadership of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the organization of 20,000 highly skilled air traffic controllers, engineers and other aviation safety related professionals. The membership elected him to an unprecedented four three-year terms as NATCA president, and upon his retirement in 2021, he was honored with the role of NATCA president emeritus.
Since then, Rinaldi has served as the founder and president of Rinaldi Consultants LLC, advising aviation leaders on initiatives that help shape regulatory and policy decisions, especially those related to aviation, air traffic control and emerging technologies.
During his three decades of aviation experience, he has worked closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), the White House and key committees on Capitol Hill including House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Senate Commerce Committee. He has testified 20 times on Capitol Hill on a wide range of issues including critical aviation safety programs, efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS), new technologies, federal funding and FAA reauthorizations.
At A4A, Rinaldi will be responsible for the association’s Operations and Safety departments, including Air Traffic Management. He will be integral to working with the White House, DOT and Congress to advance meaningful change which is urgently needed to modernize America’s air traffic control system.
“The U.S. is almost 3,000 controllers short at a time of increased reliance on air travel and air cargo shipments. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make historically meaningful change and address ATC staffing needs, technology upgrades and funding reform that allows certainty for strategic planning of vital capital projects. Nobody understands this more than Paul Rinaldi,” said A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio.
“I am honored and excited to be joining the A4A team,” said Rinaldi. “I look forward to working with the Administration, DOT and the FAA to ensure the U.S. quickly returns to being the gold standard of air traffic control.”
Rinaldi has held roles on numerous industry board and advisory councils, and he regularly provides thought leadership to the aviation industry, the media and academic institutions. A current member of Kansas State University’s Advisory Board, he contributes to shaping its aviation curriculum to ensure workforce and safety preparedness.
