Part 139 Airport Certification

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U.S. airports serving certain air carrier operations are required to be certificated by the FAA. Under 14 CFR Part 139, Certification of Airports (Part 139), the FAA issues Airport Operating Certificates to allow airport operators to serve the following air carrier passenger operations:

  • Scheduled passenger-carrying operations of an air carrier operating aircraft with more than 9 seats (with some exceptions for airports in the State of Alaska); and 
  • Unscheduled passenger-carrying operations of an air carrier operating aircraft with at least 31 passenger seats.

The FAA issues Airport Operating Certificates to airports that comply with safety and emergency response requirements specified in Part 139. Such requirements cover a wide range of issues, including signs, lights and markings, runway safety, aircraft rescue and firefighting, aviation fueling safety, snow and ice control, and wildlife hazard management.

Currently, the FAA certificates approximately 520 US airports. The FAA maintains a list of US airports certificated under Part 139, which is updated monthly (see Part 139 Airport Certification Status List below).

In February 2023, Part 139 was updated to include new requirements for safety management systems (SMS) for certain airports certificated under Part 139. These airports must develop and implement an SMS program to identify and quantify potential hazards and risks and adopt processes to manage them. For more information on these new Part 139 requirements, please go to Safety Management Systems (SMS) for Airports and Airport Projects.

Part 139 Airports

  • Part 139 Airport Certification Status List
    List of certificated airports by state, name, associated city, and identifier. It also identifies Part 139 classification, ARFF index, inactive status, and large hub airports. This list is updated every 28 days with data pulled from the Airport Data and Information Portal. As of 2/2023, the list also includes SMS Triggers and whether an SMS waiver has been granted.

Guidance

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Regulations

Current Part 139 Regulation
Subject/Title Date Other Formats
Part 139 with Corrections (No Preamble) (updated 4/24/2023) Includes corrections through 4/24/2023 PDF
Past Part 139 Rulemaking, Final Rule, and Related Documents
Subject/Title Date Other Formats
Part 139 Safety Enhancements, Certification ofAirports (78 FR 3311) (PDF) 1/16/2013 HTML
Corrections to Final Rule (69 FR 31522) (PDF) 6/4/2004  
Corrections to Part 139 Final Rule (69 FR 24069) (PDF) 5/3/2004  
February 2004 Part 139 Final Rule (with Preamble) (PDF) 2/10/2004  
Report to Congress: Economic Impact of Changes to Part 139 on Air Service at Airports Serving Small Air Carrier Aircraft (PDF, 2.9 MB) 12/2003  
Part 139 Regulatory Evaluation (PDF, 2 MB) 11/21/2001  

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Contacts

Part 139 Certification Contacts
Type of Inquiry Contact Office Telephone
General Anthony Butters Airport Safety and Operations Division (202) 267-9616
Specific Airport --- Regional Airports Office ---
Press Brittany Trotter Press Office Contact Information (202) 340-5249
Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Marc Tonnacliff Airport Safety and Operations Division (202) 267-8732
Safety Management Systems (SMS) Ken Taira Airport Safety and Operations Division (847) 294-7519
Wildlife John Weller Airport Safety and Operations Division (202) 267-3778
Wildlife Amy Anderson Airport Safety and Operations Division (202) 267-7205

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Regional Supplemental Guidance

Additional guidance on this topic is available for the following regions of the country:

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Report a Wildlife Strike

Preparing for Airport Winter Operations video

Airport Safety Information Video Series

Diesel Exhaust Fluid and Fuel System Icing Inhibitor Video

Control of Fuel System Icing Inhibitor and Diesel Exhaust Fluid at Airports

FAA Disclaimer: The Energy Institute (EI) produced the video. The EI is a non-profit chartered professional membership body, based in the United Kingdom, that brings together professionals working globally across the energy sector. The body works to address global challenges and uses their skills and knowledge to suggest safety practices that also protect the environment. The FAA encourages users of the aviation system to clearly and safely label Diesel Exhaust Fluid and Fuel System Icing Inhibitor and keep them stored in separate areas, to avoid any accidental mixing of fluids.
Last updated: Wednesday, January 17, 2024