Head of the US Transportation Security Administration John Pistole is stepping down at the end of the year.
Pistole has been TSA administrator since June 2010, overseeing a workforce of over 60,000 staff stationed at over 450 US airports.
Pistole’s achievements include raising the efficiency of passenger screening by shifting to a risk-based security model including the TSA’s PreCheck program, which Pistiole said "allows us to be more precise and tailored in our approach."
"John Pistole has been integral in leading TSA’s transformation to a risk-based, intelligence-driven counterterrorism agency dedicated to protecting our transportation systems," said US Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to have served as TSA administrator. No words can convey my deep gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the thousands of men and women committed to protecting the American public," Pistole said in a statement.
Previously a director of the FBI, Pistole is expected to take up an academic post after stepping down as TSA administrator on December 31.
