Federal Aviation Administration: Difference between revisions

| footnotes      = <ref>{{cite news | last1 = Wald | first1 = Matthew L. | title = F.A.A. Chief to Lead Industry Group | work = [[The New York Times]] |date = 2007-08-22  |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/22/washington/22brfs-FAACHIEFTOLE_BRF.html | access-date = 2023-12-18 |archive-date = 2019-07-28 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190728044053/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/22/washington/22brfs-FAACHIEFTOLE_BRF.html | url-status = live | issn = 0362-4331 | eissn = 1553-8095 | oclc = 1645522 | df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Birnbaum |first=Jeffrey H. |title=FAA Chief To Become Aerospace Lobbyist |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 22, 2007 |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR2007082101889.html |access-date=July 28, 2019 |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727025603/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR2007082101889.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

On October 31, 2013, after outcry from media outlets, including heavy criticism <ref>{{cite news |title=If the FAA changes its electronics rules, you can thank a reporter |url=http://blog.chron.com/techblog/2013/10/if-the-faa-changes-its-electronics-rules-you-can-thank-a-reporter/ |author=Dwight Silverman |date=October 7, 2013 |newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]] |access-date= November 16, 2014 |archive-date=May 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525075115/http://blog.chron.com/techblog/2013/10/if-the-faa-changes-its-electronics-rules-you-can-thank-a-reporter/ |url-status=live}}</ref> from [[Nick Bilton]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://skift.com/2013/10/31/the-internet-is-thanking-nick-bilton-for-the-faas-new-rules/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525062418/http://skift.com/2013/10/31/the-internet-is-thanking-nick-bilton-for-the-faas-new-rules/|archive-date=May 25, 2015|title = The Internet Is Thanking Nick Bilton for the FAA's New Rules|first = Jason|last= Clampet|work = Skift|date = 31 October 2013|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bilton |first= Nick |title= Disruptions: How the F.A.A., Finally, Caught Up to an Always-On Society |work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 9, 2013 |url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/disruptions-as-society-changes-a-brighter-future-for-devices-on-planes/ |access-date=July 28, 2019 |archive-date=September 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930223922/https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/disruptions-as-society-changes-a-brighter-future-for-devices-on-planes/ |url-status=live}}</ref> the FAA announced it will allow airlines to expand the passengers use of portable electronic devices during all phases of flight, but [[mobile phone]] calls would still be prohibited (and use of cellular networks during any point when aircraft doors are closed remains prohibited to-date). Implementation initially varied among airlines. The FAA expected many carriers to show that their planes allow passengers to safely use their devices in [[airplane mode]], gate-to-gate, by the end of 2013. Devices must be held or put in the seat-back pocket during the actual takeoff and landing. Mobile phones must be in airplane mode or with mobile service disabled, with no signal bars displayed, and cannot be used for voice communications due to [[Federal Communications Commission]] regulations that prohibit any airborne calls using mobile phones. From a technological standpoint, cellular service would not work in-flight because of the rapid speed of the airborne aircraft: mobile phones cannot switch fast enough between cellular towers at an aircraft's high speed. However, the ban is due to potential radio interference with aircraft avionics. If an air carrier provides [[Wi-Fi]] service during flight, passengers may use it. Short-range [[Bluetooth]] accessories, like [[wireless keyboard]]s, can also be used.<ref>{{cite web |title=At last! FAA green lights gadgets on planes |url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/at-last-faa-green-lights-gadgets-on-planes/ |publisher=[[Fox News]] |access-date=October 31, 2013 |archive-date=November 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101070053/http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/10/31/faa-oks-air-passengers-using-gadgets-on-planes/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

| [[File:Daniel Elwell.jpg|100px]]|| [[Daniel Elwell|Daniel K. Elwell]]|| Jan 6, 2018|| Aug 12, 2019|| (acting)<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web |url=https://heavy.com/news/2019/03/daniel-elwell/ |title=Dan Elwell: 5 Fast Facts You Need To Know |first=Paul |last=Farrell |date=March 13, 2019 |access-date=March 14, 2019 |archive-date=July 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731050641/https://heavy.com/news/2019/03/daniel-elwell/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=nyt1>{{cite news |first1=Tiffany |last1=Hsu |first2=Thomas |last2=Kaplan |first3=Zach |last3=Wichter |title=Trump Picks Former Delta Executive Stephen Dickson as F.A.A. Chief |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 19, 2019 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/19/business/faa-stephen-dickson-trump.html |access-date=March 19, 2019 |archive-date=March 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320011147/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/19/business/faa-stephen-dickson-trump.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=wsj1>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/steve-dickson-is-white-house-pick-as-permanent-faa-head-11553024733 |title=White House to Nominate Steve Dickson as Permanent FAA Head |date=March 19, 2019 |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=March 19, 2019 |url-access=subscription |first1=Andy |last1=Pasztor |first2=Andrew |last2=Tangel |archive-date=March 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190319230616/https://www.wsj.com/articles/steve-dickson-is-white-house-pick-as-permanent-faa-head-11553024733 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The FAA has been cited as an example of [[regulatory capture]], "in which the airline industry openly dictates to its regulators its governing rules, arranging for not only beneficial regulation, but placing key people to head these regulators."<ref name="davidoff-regcap">{{cite news |last=Solomon |first=Steven Davidoff |title=The Government's Elite and Regulatory Capture |work=DealBook |publisher=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 11, 2010 |url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/the-governments-elite-and-regulatory-capture/ |access-date=July 28, 2019 |archive-date=January 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200120214649/https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/the-governments-elite-and-regulatory-capture |url-status=live}}</ref> Retired NASA Office of Inspector General Senior Special Agent [[Joseph Gutheinz]], who used to be a Special Agent with the [[Office of Inspector General for the Department of Transportation]] and with FAA Security, is one of the most outspoken critics of FAA. Rather than commend the agency for proposing a $10.2 million fine against Southwest Airlines for its failure to conduct mandatory inspections in 2008, he was quoted as saying the following in an [[Associated Press]] story: "Penalties against airlines that violate FAA directives should be stiffer. At $25,000 per violation, Gutheinz said, airlines can justify rolling the dice and taking the chance on getting caught. He also said the FAA is often too quick to bend to pressure from airlines and pilots."<ref name="ap-mailtrib/msnbc" /> Other experts have been critical of the constraints and expectations under which the FAA is expected to operate. The dual role of encouraging aerospace travel and regulating aerospace travel are contradictory. For example, to levy a heavy penalty upon an airline for violating an FAA regulation which would impact their ability to continue operating would not be considered encouraging aerospace travel.

As a result of the March 10, 2019 [[Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302]] crash and the [[Lion Air Flight 610]] crash five months earlier, most airlines and countries began grounding the [[Boeing 737 MAX 8]] (and in many cases all MAX variants) due to safety concerns, but the FAA declined to ground MAX 8 aircraft operating in the U.S.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/12/africa/airlines-suspend-boeing-flights-intl/index.html |title=US and Canada are the only two nations still flying many Boeing 737 MAX planes |agency=CNN|date=March 12, 2019 |access-date=March 13, 2019 |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412025015/https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/12/africa/airlines-suspend-boeing-flights-intl/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref> On March 12, the FAA said that its ongoing review showed "no systemic performance issues and provides no basis to order grounding the aircraft."<ref name="crash"/> Some U.S. Senators called for the FAA to ground the aircraft until an investigation into the cause of the Ethiopian Airlines crash was complete.<ref name="crash">{{cite news |title=U.S. Senate to hold crash hearing as lawmakers urge grounding Boeing 737 MAX 8 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-airline-usa/u-s-senate-to-hold-crash-hearing-as-lawmakers-urge-grounding-boeing-737-max-8-idUSKBN1QT1WR |work=[[Reuters]]|date=March 12, 2019 |access-date=March 13, 2019 |archive-date=July 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710175443/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-airline-usa/u-s-senate-to-hold-crash-hearing-as-lawmakers-urge-grounding-boeing-737-max-8-idUSKBN1QT1WR |url-status=live}}</ref> U.S. Transportation Secretary [[Elaine Chao]] said that "If the FAA identifies an issue that affects safety, the department will take immediate and appropriate action."<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. to mandate design changes on Boeing 737 MAX 8 after crashes |url=https://www.euronews.com/2019/03/12/us-to-mandate-design-changes-on-boeing-737-max-8-after-crashes |publisher=Euronews |date=March 12, 2019 |access-date=March 13, 2019 |archive-date=May 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502052942/https://www.euronews.com/2019/03/12/us-to-mandate-design-changes-on-boeing-737-max-8-after-crashes |url-status=live}}</ref> The FAA resisted grounding the aircraft until March 13, 2019, when it received evidence of similarities in the two accidents. By then, 51 other regulators had already grounded the plane,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-14 |title=Editorial: Why was the FAA so late to deplane from Boeing's 737 Max? |url=https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-trump-faa-737-max-grounded-20190314-story.html |access-date=2021-07-20 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US |archive-date=July 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720135818/https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-trump-faa-737-max-grounded-20190314-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and by March 18, 2019, all 387 aircraft in service were grounded. Three major U.S. airlines--[[Southwest Airlines|Southwest]], [[United Airlines|United]], and [[American Airlines]]—were affected by this decision.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/13/business/canada-737-max.html |title=Trump Announces Ban of Boeing 737 Max Flights |last1=Austen |first1=Ian |date=March 13, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=March 13, 2019 |last2=Gebrekidan |first2=Selam |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913163144/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/13/business/canada-737-max.html |url-status=live}}</ref>