Civil Aeronautics Board facts for kids

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) was an important agency of the federal government of the United States. It was created in 1938 and stopped working in 1985. The CAB's main jobs were to manage air travel, especially scheduled passenger flights, and to investigate airplane accidents. Its main office was in Washington, D.C..

What Was the CAB?

The Civil Aeronautics Board, or CAB, was like a referee for the airline industry. A "federal government agency" means it was a part of the U.S. government that had specific duties across the whole country. The CAB made sure that airlines followed rules and operated safely.

Why Was the CAB Created?

Before the CAB, air travel was growing fast, but it was a bit chaotic. There weren't many rules about flight paths, ticket prices, or how many airlines could fly to certain cities. The government created the CAB to bring order to this new and exciting way to travel. It helped make sure that air travel was reliable and fair for everyone.

What Did the CAB Do?

The CAB had two main responsibilities:

Regulating Airlines

One of the CAB's biggest jobs was to regulate airline services. This meant it set rules for:

• Flight Routes: The CAB decided which cities airlines could fly to and from.
• Ticket Prices: It also approved how much airlines could charge for tickets. This was to make sure prices were fair and that airlines didn't charge too much or too little.
• Competition: The CAB controlled how many airlines could fly on certain routes. This was to prevent too much competition that might hurt airlines, or too little, which could lead to high prices.

Investigating Accidents

The other key role of the CAB was to investigate air accidents. When a plane crashed, the CAB would send experts to find out what happened. This was very important for making air travel safer. By understanding why accidents occurred, they could recommend changes to planes, procedures, or training. This helped prevent similar accidents in the future.

Why Did the CAB End?

The Civil Aeronautics Board stopped operating in 1985. This happened because of a change in government policy called "deregulation." People believed that airlines would offer better services and lower prices if they had more freedom to compete. So, many of the CAB's jobs were either ended or moved to other government agencies. For example, air accident investigation became the responsibility of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Images for kids

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  The Herbert C. Hoover Building, where the CAB was once headquartered

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  The Universal South Building at 1825 Connecticut Avenue NW. once housed the CAB headquarters.