FAA

Overview

The Federal Aviation Administration is the U.S. Department of Transportation agency responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation in the United States, established under the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the FAA certifies aircraft, pilots, and airlines, sets airport standards, operates the national air traffic control system, and oversees commercial space launch and re-entry activity, on a budget of roughly $19.8 billion in FY2024. Bryan Bedford has served as FAA Administrator since mid-2025. The agency entered 2025-2026 amid a well-publicized air traffic controller shortage and modernization push: it released a new controller hiring and Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan (2026-2028), announced billions of dollars in new spending to overhaul aging ATC infrastructure in late 2025, and in May 2026 lowered its own near-term staffing targets while acknowledging the multi-year scale of the buildout, even as leadership turnover in key divisions drew scrutiny over the pace of modernization.

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