Guvnor: Several years ago in the US travel magazine, "Conde Nast Traveler", an interesting article described the subject regarding which foreign airlines are allowed into US airports. To make a longer story short, the author claimed that the FAA uses foreign airline/govt regulatory compliance as the determining factor. However, there was evidence that international relations (maybe imports/exports?) are also a major factor.
Apparently, US State Department (foreign relations) policies seem to have as much influence as anything else. When government branches are run by political appointees, whether retired military officers (plus or minus a former Air Force Thunderbird demo team pilot: nice career resume/c.v. "ticket punch") or career civil servants, almost anything is possible, no matter how much reality contradicts public perception.
As for retirees sliding into very lucrative private sector jobs, ever heard the phrase "Beltway Bandits"? How about major rulings for a certain corporate predator ("allegedly" made by former DOT Admin judges, well-versed in aviation matters), then upon retirment working for the same airline holding company, which profited immensely from said persons' govt rulings? Just a coincidence.
Integrity? Public service?