Civil aviation authority facts for kids
A Civil Aviation Authority (often called a CAA) is a special group in a country that makes sure flying is safe. They are like the rule-makers and supervisors for all non-military flights, from big passenger planes to small private jets. Their main job is to keep track of all aircraft and make sure they follow safety rules.
What a CAA Does
Flying can be tricky, so national aviation authorities have important jobs to keep everyone safe. They look after many key things about how planes are built and how they operate:
- Aircraft Design: They check the plans for planes, engines, and all the equipment on board and on the ground that affects flight safety.
- Building and Testing: They make sure planes and their parts are built correctly and tested thoroughly before they fly.
- Maintenance: They set rules for how planes and equipment must be looked after and repaired.
- Flight Operations: They oversee how planes are flown and used.
- Licensing Pilots and Staff: They give licenses to pilots, air traffic controllers, and engineers who fix planes.
- Airport and Navigation Licenses: They approve airports and the special equipment that helps planes find their way.
- Air Traffic Control Standards: They create the rules for how air traffic is managed.
A CAA gets its power from laws passed by the government. This means that experts in aviation, not politicians, can make the detailed safety rules.
Sometimes, a CAA might help investigate plane accidents. However, in many places, a separate group handles accident investigations. This helps make sure the investigation is fair and independent, even if the CAA's rules might have been involved.
While a CAA sets the rules for air traffic, a different agency usually handles the actual job of guiding planes in the sky.
In some countries, a CAA might even build and run airports, including passenger terminals. Examples include the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. In other countries, private companies or local governments own and operate airports.
It's important to remember that Civil Aviation Authorities do not control military flights. Military aviation has its own separate rules and licensing systems. For example, in the United Kingdom, military flying is overseen by the Military Aviation Authority.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) often calls these groups National Airworthiness Authorities (NAA) or National Aviation Authorities (also NAA).
How CAAs Started and Grew
In the past, each country developed its own flying rules. This meant that plane makers sometimes had to build different versions of planes for different countries. It also made it harder for airlines to fly into other countries.
To fix these problems, many countries signed the Convention on International Civil Aviation (also known as the Chicago Convention) in 1944. This agreement led to the creation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 1947. ICAO is part of the United Nations and works with countries around the world to create common safety rules and best practices for aviation.
Later, in 1970, European CAAs formed the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) to work together. They created the Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR) to set minimum safety standards across Europe. The JAA was replaced by the European Aviation Safety Agency and stopped operating in 2009.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) was created in 2003 as an agency of the European Union. It took over from the JAA and now sets aviation rules for countries in the European Union and the European Free Trade Association. Even with EASA, each member country still has its own aviation agency to put these rules into practice. EASA also works with countries outside the EU, like Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. In 2018, its name was changed to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
See also
In Spanish: Autoridad de Aviación Civil del Estado para niños
- Federal Aviation Regulations
External links
- International civil aviation regulatory & government agencies
- More civil aviation authorities
- Free Aviation Dictionary
