FAA Reorganization Formalized

Six months after announcing the move, the FAA's reorganization of its flight standards (AFS) and certification services (AIR) became official as of March 5. The agency has been running those operations under the new regime since last August but the rule that enshrines the reorganization in the regulations became effective March 5. The reorganization eliminates the geographical structure of those services, which used to be handled more or less independently by 77 flight standard district offices.

Under the new system, approvals are divided among specific departments that report nationally rather than regionally, cutting down on the inconsistency of interpretations of the rules at the local level. "The AIR reorganization included eliminating product directorates and restructuring and re-designating field offices," the Federal Register notification says. "The AFS reorganization included eliminating geographic regions, realigning headquarters organizations, and restructuring field offices."