FAA Rolling Out New Flight Standards Organization

The Federal Aviation Administration took the next step in rolling out the newly reorganized Flight Standards Service with the release of an Information to Operators (InFO) outlining changes ahead that are designed to foster “efficiency and agility.” According to the InFO, “The Future of Flights Standards (FFS) Initiative is a service-wide effort to transform the culture of Flight Standards into an organization that facilitates critical thinking, interdependence, and consistency to better serve aviation safety.”

To be implemented this month, the changes include the elimination of regional Flight Standards offices and the creation of four functional organizations: Air Carrier Safety Assurance, General Aviation Safety Assurance, Safety Standard, and Foundational Business. This will create a streamlined structure to facilitate “faster response times, single points of accountability in each functional organization, greater agility, and consistency,” the agency said.

Existing FAA-issued documents, media and products issued remain valid, the FAA said, but encouraged aviation stakeholders to learn more about the new organization at its Flight Standards Information Management System page.

“Our new leadership team is working hard to make the process as smooth as possible and, most importantly, to minimize any risk to our continued operational safety mission,” Flight Standards director John Duncan stressed in a recent update on the changes. Plans to call to open new manager vacancies in upcoming weeks with the hopes of having them in place by or shortly after the August 20 transition date, and FAA leadership are holding meetings with the new functional organizations, he said. “Please remember…that our organizational intent is to not create four new silos. Interdependence and horizontal communication are essential,” he said.