FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates civil aviation activities in the United States.
The U.S. Congress, the Senate and House of Representatives, passed the Federal Aviation Act in 1958 creating the independent Federal Aviation Agency, later deemed the FAA. The Act, codified by Public Law 103-272 as Title 49 U.S. Code Subtitle VII, and amended frequently, establishes the legal mandate for the FAA to promulgate regulations affecting civil aviation safety and security.
To that end, the FAA promulgates rules under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which controls the design, production, sales, operation, and maintenance of civil aviation products and articles. Click on the subtitle below to get more information about ARSA’s efforts in each area.
For information on interacting with the FAA, see our Dealing with the Government issue page, FAA Enforcement Process issue page or Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) issue page.
Agencies “legislate” through rulemaking; that power is limited by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which requires public participation whenever an agency “affects the rights of parties” under its jurisdiction. Learn more about the process and the different types of rules promulgated by the agency.
Aviation authorities issue design approvals (type certificates and supplemental type certificates or amended type certificates) and production approvals (production certificates or production under type certificate only) for aircraft, aircraft engines, and propellers; as well as parts manufacturer approvals and technical standard order authorizations for articles. The objective is for the applicant to establish that the design of an aircraft, engine, propeller, appliance, material, process, or part meets the applicable airworthiness standards, and can be consistently produced to an approved design.
Issues frequently addressed under the “Operations” umbrella include continuing analysis and surveillance, drug and alcohol testing, and air carrier/maintenance provider relationships.
ARSA addresses a wide-range of maintenance regulatory issues including parts 43, 65 and 145, training programs, and recordkeeping.
The association tracks legal interpretations issued by the FAA’s Office of Chief Counsel of interest to its members.
