FAA and Regs

ABC News is reporting the FAA has approved Boeing’s plan to validate fixes on Boeing 787s so they can resume deliveries of the aircraft. The company hasn’t been able to ship out any of the planes since 2020 because of deficiencies in the documentation of repairs for manufacturing faults discovered in 2020. The authorization could […]

The Department of Transportation has validated the allegations in several whistleblower complaints and the findings of two other investigations that the FAA mismanaged oversight of Southwest Airlines and looked the other way on many safety-related issues at the airline. Among the substantiated allegations are that dealing with Southwest was intimidating for FAA inspectors, that the […]

The FAA has proposed a rule designed to reduce greenhouse gasses emitted by large aircraft flying in U.S. airspace by requiring the aircraft to be more fuel efficient. The rule would apply to new subsonic jet and large turboprop and propeller aircraft models that are not yet certified or are manufactured after Jan. 1, 2028. […]

As we reported last month, President Joe Biden has nominated Phillip A. Washington as his new FAA administrator to replace Steve Dickson, who resigned in the spring. The Washington Post is reporting Washington’s nomination is rooted in his deep political ties to Biden as the administration grapples with an air transportation system fraught with difficulties, […]

SkyWest may have found a neat workaround to sustain scheduled service to small markets while filling the flight decks with its most experienced captains and least experienced FOs. The regional giant has created a small charter subsidiary called SkyWest Charter LLC (SWC) and applied for a Part 135 commuter air carrier authorization. It proposes to […]

The FAA has issued new guidance to airports on issuing NOTAMs it says is intended to help pilots navigate them easier and more accurately. The Advisory Circular was issued on May 25 but the agency publicized it over the weekend. The overall intent appears to be to clean up all the expired, inaccurate and confusing […]

The FAA is requiring SpaceX to take more than 75 actions to mitigate the potential environmental impact of its planned Starship/Super Heavy launch operations in Boca Chica, Texas, the agency announced on Monday. The requirements are the result of a recently completed environmental assessment conducted by the FAA as part of the decision-making process for […]

The FAA launched its “Be ATC” recruiting campaign this week with the goal of hiring its “next generation” of aircraft traffic controllers. The application window will be open from June 24 to 27 for U.S. citizens who meet the agency’s eligibility requirements, which include the ability to speak English clearly, being no older than 30 […]

The Biden administration is planning to nominate Phillip Washington as the next FAA administrator, according to a report from The Seattle Times. Washington is currently serving as CEO of Denver International Airport (DEN), a position he has held since July 12, 2021, and his first aviation-related role. Before taking over at DEN, he worked as […]

The FAA is keeping Boeing on a shorter leash than the company wanted to ensure it makes some internal changes on its certification processes. The company applied for its customary five-year Organization Designation Authorization allowing designated Boeing employees to sign off on some aspects of the certification of new aircraft. In the wake of the […]