Andrew B. Steinberg

Andrew B. Steinberg is the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs within the United States Department of Transportation. He was confirmed to the position on September 29, 2006. Prior to that he had been appointed (in May 2003) as the Chief Counsel of the Federal Aviation Administration. He served as the top legal advisor to the Administrator of the FAA, overseeing a staff of 290 individuals, including approximately 200 lawyers, located in Washington and in the agency's 11 regional offices and technical centers.cite web | title="U.S. Department of Transportation / Andrew B. Steinberg" | url=http://www.dot.gov/bios/steinberg.htm | accessdate= September 27 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Education and career

Immediately prior to joining the FAA Steinberg was Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Church & Dwight Co., Inc., a diversified consumer packaged goods and industrial products company with $1.5 billion in sales.

From 2000 to 2002 he was Executive Vice President of Administration, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Travelocity.com, Inc.

From 1996 to 2000 he was Senior Vice President and then Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Sabre, Inc., a leading provider of computerized reservation systems and information technology to the travel industry.

From 1990 to 1996 he held a number of positions within the legal department of American Airlines, Inc., serving as Associate General Counsel in charge of the airline's employment and environmental legal practice, and Senior Attorney responsible for antitrust matters.

From 1986 to 1990 he was associated with the Los Angeles-based law firm of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher where he practiced antitrust law and commercial litigation.

Steinberg earned his bachelor's degree in politics magna cum laude from Princeton University and graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School. After law school he served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Richard A. Gadbois, Jr. in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

Steinberg wrote an order giving United Airlines and Delta Air Lines access to coveted new routes to China (from San Francisco to Guangzhou and from Atlanta to Shanghai respectively). [cite news|title=United, Delta win China routes|publisher="The Chicago Tribune"|date=2006-09-26|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-wed_ual_0926sep26,0,5433724.story] He has said that the inclusion of aviation in Europe's Emissions Trading Scheme "would violate international law and undercut international efforts to better manage the impact of aviation emissions." [cite news|title=Key Votes on Emissions Trading in Europe Could Cement Aviation’s Role|publisher="Ainonline.com"|date=2006-09-19|url=http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/key-votes-on-emissions-trading-in-europe-could-cement-aviations-role/?no_cache=1&cHash=a54ba11be2] About the possible merger between US Airways and Delta Air Lines, Steinberg said in congressional testimony that any merger immediately yields less competition and that ultimately market forces would play out to benefit consumers. [cite news|first=Jay|Last=Boehmer|title=Delta To Emerge Alone: Carrier's Creditors Reject US Airways Bid After Delta Scores $2.5 Billion In Exit Financing |publisher="Business Travel News Online"|date=2007-02-05|url=http://www.btnmag.com/businesstravelnews/headlines/frontpage_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003541290]

References