FAA shifts to two‑building headquarters in Washington, aiming for $30 million annual savings

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford told officials that the agency will not consolidate all Washington‑area staff into a single headquarters. Instead, the FAA plans to operate from two sites – the DOT East Building at the Navy Yard and the Orville Wright Federal Building near the National Mall – with a target of moving roughly 7,000 employees from six locations.

The move is part of a broader effort announced last summer by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to reduce office space and cut costs. Bedford said the agency expects to save about $30 million a year once the transition is complete. Over 800 FAA workers have already been relocated, and the goal is to shift about 950 employees to the DOT headquarters by next summer.

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlighted that many DOT and FAA buildings remain largely empty, costing U.S. taxpayers roughly $370 million annually. The report found average occupancy at 34 % and noted the lack of a department‑wide consolidation plan despite the underutilization of more than 50,000 DOT staff spaces.