Billy Nolen is the Chief Regulatory Officer at Archer Aviation. In this position, he plays a leadership role to help Archer more effectively collaborate with industry stakeholders and help ensure eVTOL’s safe entry into service as it prepares for planned commercialisation in 2025.
Before joining Archer, Nolen served as the acting Administrator of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) where he led certification reform and new safety management systems for airports. Prior to that, he was the associate Administrator of aviation safety for the FAA, which covers more than one million registered aircraft, more than one million active pilots, thousands of approved manufacturers, and over 50,000 flights every day. During his time with the FAA, Nolen led the agency’s efforts to enable the safe entry of eVTOL aircraft into the national airspace and has been a strong advocate for the eVTOL aircraft industry and its role in changing the way the world moves.
Nolen is an experienced aviation safety professional with more than 40 years of experience in corporate safety, regulatory affairs and flight operations. He began his career in 1989 as a pilot for American Airlines, flying Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft as well as the then-McDonnell Douglas MD-80. He was later promoted to manage the carrier’s Aviation Safety Action Program. His passion for operation and safety led him to continue rising through the management ranks to become the airline’s managing director for corporate safety and regulatory affairs. Nolen was a senior executive at Airlines for America and worked in safety leadership positions at numerous other airlines, including Qantas Airways, where he played a key role in the Qantas Group Safety Governance Framework and WestJet in Calgary, Alberta where he was the Vice President of Safety, Security and Quality.
In addition to his professional aviation experience, Nolen served tours of duty in the U.S. Army as a plane and helicopter pilot and safety officer. Nolen graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management and has certificates in aviation safety from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, U.S. Army Safety Center and the University of Southern California. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS) and has travelled extensively across the globe.