JOC Staff | Sep 14, 2009 4:04PM EDT
William R. DeCota, the aviation director at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, died on Friday, the Port Authority announced. He was 52.
No cause of death was announced but Port Authority officials said he died of natural causes.
Mr. DeCota had been the director for one of the world’s largest aviation authorities, one overseeing three major New York-area airports, since December 1999.
“Bill was a national voice on major airport issues throughout his career, including initiatives to reduce flight delays and modernize aviation facilities and systems,” the Port Authority said in a statement.
He also oversaw the overhaul in security at John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia airports in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks.