# Federal Aviation Administration

> The Federal Aviation Administration is the U.S. government agency that regulates civil aviation and commercial space transportation while operating the country's air traffic system. Its work spans aircraft and pilot certification, airport grants, airspace design, safety oversight, research, data services, drone integration and the round-the-clock movement of more than 44,000 flights a day across more than 29 million square miles.

- **Founded:** 1958
- **Headquarters:** Washington, D.C., United States
- **Team size:** Approximately 45,000 employees; official 2025 materials describe a workforce of more than 40,000.
- **Products:** Air traffic services, Aviation safety regulation and certification, National Airspace System infrastructure, Airport Improvement Program, Commercial space licensing
- **Notable:** Created a unified federal system for civil aviation safety and air traffic control in 1958., Operates air traffic services across more than 29 million square miles for more than 44,000 flights on a typical day., Completed nationwide deployment of the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System in 2021.

## Products & services

- **Air traffic services** — Operates towers, terminal facilities, en route centers and the national command center to separate aircraft and manage traffic flow.
- **Aviation safety regulation and certification** — Sets and enforces standards and certifies aircraft, operators, pilots, mechanics, airports and other parts of the civil aviation system.
- **National Airspace System infrastructure** — Builds, operates and sustains communications, navigation, surveillance, automation and weather-support systems.
- **Airport Improvement Program** — Provides grants for eligible planning and development at public-use airports in the national system.
- **Commercial space licensing** — Licenses commercial launches, reentries and launch or reentry sites with a focus on public safety.
- **NextGen** — A portfolio of satellite navigation, digital communications, information sharing and automation improvements for the National Airspace System.
- **FAA DroneZone and Remote ID** — Registration, waiver and authorization services plus identification rules that support safer drone integration.
- **LAANC** — An FAA-industry data exchange that lets eligible drone pilots obtain near-real-time controlled-airspace authorizations through approved service suppliers.
- **Mobile Clearance** — A digital tool enabling general and business aviation pilots to request IFR departure clearances through approved flight applications.

## Achievements

- Created a unified federal system for civil aviation safety and air traffic control in 1958.
- Operates air traffic services across more than 29 million square miles for more than 44,000 flights on a typical day.
- Completed nationwide deployment of the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System in 2021.
- Expanded Data Comm en route services to all 20 Air Route Traffic Control Centers by 2025.
- Enabled near-real-time drone airspace authorizations through LAANC at 726 airports.
- Moved the first phase of the NOTAM modernization service to the cloud in 2026.
- Selected eight advanced air mobility proposals for the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program in 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Advanced Mobile Clearance, allowing general and business aviation pilots to request IFR departure clearances through approved applications.
- **2026-07** — Announced an eVTOL organ-transport flight-test milestone involving BETA Technologies, United Therapeutics and Pennsylvania DOT.
- **2026-07** — Prepared a final rule aligning next-generation radio-altimeter performance requirements with new 5G spectrum use.
- **2026-06** — Selected Air Space Intelligence to deploy new flow-management data and strategic trajectory technologies.
- **2026-05** — Launched Modern Skies, a public tracker for more than 10,000 air traffic control modernization projects.
- **2026-05** — Completed phase one of the NOTAM modernization transition and moved the service into the cloud.
- **2026-03** — Selected eight proposals for an eVTOL Integration Pilot Program.
- **2026-01** — Announced the largest organizational restructuring in agency history, including centralized safety management and a new Airspace Modernization Office.
- **2025-12** — Named Peraton prime integrator for the brand-new air traffic control system program, backed by an initial $12.5 billion appropriation.

## Links

- Website: https://www.faa.gov/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faa/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/FAANews
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/FAAnews/featured
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FAA/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/federal-aviation-administration
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-13