WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted 98-0 to approve President Joe Biden's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration, Michael Whitaker, as the agency faces questions about near-miss safety incidents and air traffic control staffing issues.

The FAA has been without a permanent head for more than 18 months after a prior nominee withdrew. A senior FAA official said Whitaker, a former deputy FAA administrator, could be on the job as early as Wednesday.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler)