What Prompted Congress to Change the FAA’s Original ‘Dual Mandate’?

The FAA was charged with regulating air commerce to promote its development and safety and with promoting, encouraging, and developing civil aeronautics. How, when, and why did these congressionally-mandated functions change?

Martha Lunken

Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 04:46 PM ET

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Congress originally charged the FAA with regulating air commerce to promote its development and safety and with promoting, encouraging, and developing civil aeronautics. [Courtesy: USGS]

Key Takeaways:

Initially, the FAA (established in 1958) was mandated with a dual role: to regulate air commerce for both safety and the promotion/development of civil aeronautics.
Following the May 1996 ValuJet Flight 592 crash, the FAA faced criticism for potentially allowing cost-cutting to impact safety due to its industry promotion mandate.
In response, Congress amended the Federal Aviation Act in October 1996, removing the language "promoting" aviation and adding provisions that primarily emphasize safety, thus clarifying its core mission.

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Question: In August 1958, the president signed the Federal Aviation Act, which transferred the Civil Aeronautics Authority’s functions to a new and independent Federal Aviation Agency (now the Federal Aviation Administration). The FAA was charged with regulating air commerce to promote its development and safety, and to encourage and develop civil aeronautics. How, when, and why did these congressionally mandated functions change?

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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