By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters), – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA), head, is stepping down halfway through his 5-year-old term. However, he said Thursday that he did not feel pressured by White House officials to resign.

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson was an ex-pilot and Delta Air Lines (NYSE 🙂 executive, who was selected by President Donald Trump to fill the position in 2019. Dickson told a few reporters that he wanted to leave for family reasons on March 31, 2018.

Dickson was asked if Pete Buttigieg, Transportation Secretary, or the White House pressured him into stepping down. He said that they actually wanted me to remain.

Dickson (64) showed a picture of his family from his phone, when asked about his reasons for leaving. It’s been difficult for me and my family over the past couple of years. He stated, “I need to return home.”

“I am proud of all that we have done in recent years at the agency to bring back safety culture.”

Dickson was criticized by people within the Biden administration for his 5G aviation dispute. The 5G deployment was causing a crisis in aviation that could have resulted in almost no traffic being grounded, warned airline chiefs Jan. 17.

Hours before the planned Jan. 19 deployment, Verizon (NYSE:) and AT&T (NYSE:) agreed to delay deploying about 510 5G wireless towers near airports. This did not deter dozens of foreign airlines, however. They cancelled U.S.bound flights because they were concerned that 5G signal interference could cause problems with their planes.

In an email, a White House official stated to Reuters that it wasn’t true that anyone had asked him to resign. “Over anything.”

In a Wednesday statement, Buttigieg acknowledged Dickson’s service. “Steve has been the FAA’s steady and skilled captain, and his tenure has been marked by steadfast commitment to the FAA’s safety mission,” he said.