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:

Established in 1958, the FAA initially operated under a "dual mandate" to both promote and regulate air commerce, aiming for its development and safety.
After the May 1996 ValuJet Flight 592 crash, the FAA was criticized for potential safety compromises due to its industry-promotion function.
In October 1996, Congress amended the Federal Aviation Act, removing the language about "promoting" aviation to unequivocally prioritize safety in the FAA's mandate.

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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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