Aviation Safety

Among its responsibilities foraviation safety, the Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) issuesthousands of certificates andapprovals annually. Thesecertificates and approvals, which FAA bases on its interpretation offederal standards, indicate that suchthings as new aircraft, the design and production of aircraft parts andequipment, and new air operators are safe for use in the national airspace system. Past studies and industryspokespersons assert that FAAsinterpretations produce variation in its decisions and inefficiencies that adversely affect the industry.GAO was asked to examine the (1) extent of variation in FAAsinterpretation of standards for certification and approval decisions and (2) views of key stakeholders andexperts on how well these processeswork. To perform the study, GAOreviewed industry studies and reportsand FAA documents and processes; convened a panel of aviation experts;and interviewed officials fromvarious industry sectors, senior FAAofficials, and unions representingFAA staff.