Langhorne Bond, who had served as FAA Administrator from 1977 to 1981 and remained involved in Washington aviation and transportation circles in the decades following, died on January 29. He was 84.

“Langhorne was a charismatic administrator with a strong focus on safety and a deep love of all things aviation,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “His leadership at the FAA helped to establish the safety-driven foundation for which our national airspace system is known today.”

While at the helm of the FAA, Bond steered the early phases of a computerized national air traffic control system that paved the way for today’s next-generation ATC system, NBAA said. The Air Traffic Control Association in 1999 had honored Bond with its Glen A. Gilbert Memorial Award as a “father of ATC.”  Bond also oversaw the FAA’s investigation of the Douglas DC-10 commercial airliner while administrator.

Born March 11, 1937, in Shanghai as the son of international aviation executive William Langhorne Bond, Bond had a long history of public service, including as a special assistant to the Undersecretary of Commerce for Transportation from 1965 until the formation of the Department of Transportation (DOT) in 1967. He also had served as Secretary of Transportation in Illinois and as president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials before receiving the nomination from then-President Jimmy Carter to the FAA Administrator position.

He subsequently held roles with the Urban Mass Transportation Administration and the National Transportation Center, as well as for years served as a consultant. He also was a former board member of Embraer Aircraft.