New times at the faa: Since deregulation, the number of pilots, planes, and airlines has overwhelmed the Federal Aviation Administration

The questions of whether the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) dual mission of enforcing safety regulations and promoting civil aviation is self-contradictory, and whether the agency could operate more effectively as a government corporation or independent agency, rather than as part of the US Department of Transportation, are considered. Since deregulation, competition has more than doubled the number of commercial carriers, vastly increasing the number of US airplanes, pilots, and mechanics, not to mention takeoffs and landings. It is suggested that the FAA, which has been trying to oversee the increased activity with about the same staff it had in 1978, is too concerned with promoting aviation and is giving too much priority to certification of new airlines and their employees at the expense of checking aircraft maintenance. The possibility of doing away with the FAA's promotional role and giving it more autonomy and clout by making it an independent government body or a federal corporation is explored.