Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), formerly the Federal Aviation Agency, was established by the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (72 Stat.
- Civilian staff, August 2026
- 44,564
- −3.5% in a year
- Rules open for comment
- 10
- Next closes Nov 2
- Rules made final this year
- 453
- 326 proposed
- Organizations that lobbied it
- 768
- 2019 to 2026
What it is deciding now
453 rules made final and 326 proposed this year. Anyone can comment on a proposal until its period closes.
- Nov2Airworthiness Directives: De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (Type Certificate Previously Held by Bombardier, Inc.) AirplanesComments close · FAA
- Nov2Airworthiness Directives: Airbus SAS AirplanesComments close · FAA
- Nov2Airworthiness Directives: ATR-GIE Avions de Transport Regional AirplanesComments close · FAA
- Nov5Airworthiness Directives: The Boeing Company AirplanesComments close · FAA
- Nov6Airworthiness Directives: Bell Textron Canada Limited HelicoptersComments close · FAA
- Nov6Airworthiness Directives: Airbus SAS AirplanesComments close · FAA
Open for comment
Closing soonest first.
- Airworthiness Directives: De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (Type Certificate Previously Held by Bombardier, Inc.) AirplanesCloses today
- Airworthiness Directives: Airbus SAS AirplanesCloses today
- Airworthiness Directives: ATR-GIE Avions de Transport Regional AirplanesCloses today
- Airworthiness Directives: The Boeing Company AirplanesCloses in 3 days
- Airworthiness Directives: Bell Textron Canada Limited HelicoptersCloses in 4 days
- Airworthiness Directives: Airbus SAS AirplanesCloses in 4 days
- Airworthiness Directives: Airbus SAS AirplanesCloses in 4 days
- Airworthiness Directives: Leonardo S.p.a. HelicoptersCloses in 4 days
- Airworthiness Directives: Textron Aviation, Inc. (Type Certificate Previously Held by Cessna Aircraft Company) AirplanesCloses in 7 days
- Use of Certain Restricted Category Aircraft for the Transport of Firefighters for Wildfire SuppressionCloses in 11 days
Where its power comes from
An agency can act only where a law lets it. These are the laws its rules cite, where its rules live, and the bills that would change it.
Laws it carries out
The U.S. Code sections its rules of the last six years cite as their authority, most cited first, of 85.
- 49 U.S.C. 106
- Administrative
- General requirements
- Sovereignty and use of airspace
- Relationship to other laws
- Type certificates, production certificates, airworthiness certificates, and design and production organization certificates
- Emergency powers
- General facilities and personnel authority
- Repealed. Pub. L. 118–63, title III, § 337, May 16, 2024, 138 Stat. 1093]
- Standards for navigational aids
- Reports and records
- Aeronautical charts and related products and services
Its rulebook
Where the rules it wrote these six years sit in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Bills that would change it
Bills this Congress that name it, the most recently moved first. A bill that names an agency is not a law.
- HR 9225: To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a study to assess whether certain aircraft certified under part 23 of…In committee
- HR 9037: To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to improve and expand electronic filing capabilities for Federal Aviation…In committee
- HR 8703: To designate the facility of the Federal Aviation Administration located at Yakima Air Terminal in Yakima, Washington, as the "Roy A. Rutherford Air…In committee
- HR 8579: To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to issue regulations to include strollers in the contract of carriage of air…In committee
- S 3866: A bill to provide for updates to the Federal Aviation Administration type certification process to support development of new and novel technologies…In committee
- HR 5667: To provide for continued operation of the Federal Aviation Administration in the event of a lapse in appropriations.In committee
- HR 2431: Don't Cut FAA Workers Act of 2025In committee
- HRES 118: Calling on Federal law enforcement, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Aviation…In committee
Track record
What it made final, the cases it brought, and where Congress moved to undo its work.
Latest final rules
The newest rules it made final.
- Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries Inc. AirplanesNov 2
- Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company AirplanesNov 2
- Airworthiness Directives; BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG (Formerly BRP-Powertrain GMBH & CO KG and Bombardier-Rotax GmbH) EnginesNov 2
- Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company AirplanesNov 2
- Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures; Miscellaneous AmendmentsOct 30
- Standard Instrument Approach Procedures, and Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures; Miscellaneous AmendmentsOct 30
- Amendment of Class D and Establishment of Class E Airspace; Chandler and Phoenix, AZOct 30
- Establishment of Class E Airspace; Ottawa, IL; CorrectionOct 28
Who runs it
Its leaders
- Bryan BedfordAdministrator of the Federal Aviation Administration for the term of five years
Who pays to be heard
- Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A.$522M on reports naming it
- National Association of Realtors$142M on reports naming it
- Amazon.com Services LLC$140M on reports naming it
Federal Aviation Administration
- Bryan BedfordAdministrator of the Federal Aviation Administration for the term of five years
- Department of TransportationThe department it sits in
- Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A.Lobbied it, $522M
- National Association of RealtorsLobbied it, $142M
- Amazon.com Services LLCLobbied it, $140M
- General Dynamics CorpLobbied it, $91.5M
Its leaders
The people the Senate last confirmed to its offices, one record per office. A confirmation date is not proof someone still serves.
Who tries to sway it
Who names it on federal lobbying reports, 2019 to 2026, and who used to work there. Naming an agency is the filer’s account of where work was aimed, not a record of a meeting.
Who pays to be heard
The biggest spenders on reports that name it. A report names several issues, so each figure is the whole report.
- Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A.$522M
- National Association of Realtors$142M
- Amazon.com Services LLC$140M
- General Dynamics Corp$91.5M
- Boeing Company$67.4M
- Honeywell International$56.4M
- Ups (United Parcel Service)$53.5M
- RTX Corporation and Affiliates$44M
- Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (D/B/A Airlines for America)$42.6M
- American Airlines, Inc.$38.9M
- Delta Air Lines, Inc.$38.5M
- Nextera Energy, Inc.$38.4M
- AT&T Services, Inc. and Its Affiliates$35.9M
- Chevron, U.S.A., Inc.$33.2M
- American Association of Airport Executives$29.1M
- American Council of Engineering Companies$23.6M
- American Property Casualty Insurance Association$22.8M
- Walmart Inc.$22.5M
- BNSF Railway Company$22.4M
- American Chemistry Council$21.5M
Who files the lobbying
The firms on reports that name it, by how many clients they filed for.
- Holland & Knight LLP28 clients
- Elevate Government Affairs, LLC27 clients
- K&L Gates, LLP23 clients
- JTR Strategies LLC22 clients
- Kaplan Kirsch LLP14 clients
- Squire Patton Boggs11 clients
- Crossroads Strategies, LLC11 clients
- Thorn Run Partners11 clients
- Team Hallahan LLC10 clients
- Van Scoyoc Associates10 clients
- Empire Consulting Group9 clients
- The Doerrer Group LLC9 clients
- Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld9 clients
- Penn Avenue Partners9 clients
- Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP8 clients
- Townsend Public Affairs, Inc.8 clients
- CJ Lake, LLC8 clients
- Albertine Enterprises, Inc.7 clients
- Miller Strategies, LLC7 clients
- David Turch & Assoc.7 clients
Former staff now lobbying
Lobbyists whose filings list a past job here: the most recent 10 of 22.
In the news
Reporting that may mention this subject. Possible matches are labeled.
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