Flight Standards Service
Certification and Surveillance Division
Air Transportation Oversight System (ATOS) Certificate Management Office (CMO)
Through ATOS, the FAA is asking its workforce to think in terms of system safety and risk management. Inspectors consider the airline as a whole and how systems interact to maintain safety. Using ATOS oversight processes, the FAA strives to ensure that air carriers comply with the regulations, build safety into their operating systems, and manage their identified hazards and associated risks.
The ATOS CMO works in a virtual office environment using state-of-the-art automation and communications systems. It is composed of three sections with the following roles and responsibilities:
- The Certification Section is responsible for providing Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO) and certificate holding district offices (CHDO) with staff support, expert technical guidance and training in the certification of new air carriers and addition of new aircraft. The Certification Section develops and provides input to air carrier inspector handbooks regarding certification, certificate management, surveillance, and evaluations ,and serves as the focal point for application of agency guidance regarding certification, certificate management, surveillance, and evaluations of air carriers.
- The Implementation Section manages and supports the transition of all part 121 air carriers to ATOS. The Implementation Section provides Certificate Holding District Offices with staff support, expert technical guidance and training in implementing ATOS processes, and surveillance evaluation program processes. This section is also responsible for managing the Air Carrier Evaluation Program for part 121 air carriers that applies at the national, regional, and district office/certificate management office levels throughout Flight Standards.
- The Continual Improvement Section is responsible for managing and supporting the ATOS continuous improvement initiative, including the technical support program. The Continual Improvement Section collects and responds to feedback from ATOS users, provides input on national policies and procedures for the oversight of air carriers, and recommends enhancements to ATOS business processes and automation tools. This section is responsible for developing and revising the ATOS automation user guide and tutorials as well as developing and maintaining data collection quality standards. The section provides subject matter expert support for internal and external customers. It also maintains a quality management system that meets current International Organization for Standardization (ISO) requirements.
