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Aviation glossary

FAA

Federal Aviation Administration · Also: Federal Aviation Administration

Registration and rules

United States government agency that regulates the country's civil aviation, certifies aircraft and provides air traffic control services.

What it is

The FAA is part of the US Department of Transportation. It was established in 1958 as the Federal Aviation Agency and took its present name in 1967. Its responsibilities include certifying aircraft, engines and manufacturers, licensing pilots and mechanics, overseeing airlines and keeping the national aircraft register, which is based in Oklahoma City.

Unlike many regulators, the FAA also provides air traffic control directly, across some of the busiest airspace in the world. As the authority of the state of design for Boeing and other American manufacturers, it issues their type certificates, which other authorities generally validate. Its rules are set out in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, with Part 25 covering large transport aeroplanes.

Related terms

EASAEuropean Union agency responsible for civil aviation safety, which certifies aircraft, engines and components and harmonises rules across Europe. Civil aviation authorityPublic body that regulates and oversees a country's civil aviation: it registers aircraft, issues licences and certifies airlines and airports. Type certificateDocument in which an aviation authority declares that the design of an aircraft, engine or propeller model meets the applicable airworthiness requirements. Air traffic controlThe service that keeps aircraft safely apart and orders traffic on the ground and in the air through clearances and instructions passed by radio. Airworthiness directiveMandatory instruction issued by an aviation authority to correct an unsafe condition found in a type of aircraft, engine or component.
Whole glossary

Cite

To cite this page in academic work, an article or Wikipedia, choose the style and copy the reference. The access date is today.

This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). FAA. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/faa

MLA

“FAA.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/faa. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “FAA.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/faa.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) FAA. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/faa (Accessed: 17 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_faa,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{FAA}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/faa},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/faa}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-17},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/faa |title=FAA |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}

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