About the FAA Designee Program
- What is a designee?
- How are we allowed to delegate?
- Why do we need designees?
- Where do we get designees?
- What types of designees are there?
- What do we delegate?
Learn More About
A private person or organization delegated to act as a representative of the Administrator.
How are we allowed to delegate?
Public law allows the FAA to leverage its limited resources through delegation. Title 49 of the United States Code (49 USC) 44702(d), states the FAA may delegate to a qualified private person a matter related to issuing certificates, or related to the examination, testing, and inspection necessary to issue a certificate on behalf of the FAA Administrator as authorized by statute to issue under 49 USC 44702(a).
The FAA doesn't have the resources to do all the necessary activities to keep up with an expanding aviation industry. Using designees for routine certification tasks allows the FAA to focus its limited resources on safety critical certification issues as well as new and novel technologies.
Designees come from private industry. They are experts in the aviation and medical communities who are familiar with the regulations and certification requirements necessary to issue a certificate. Examples of such experts might be mechanics, doctors, engineers, inspectors and pilots.
What types of designees are there?
There are two types of designees: individuals and organizations.
Individual designees can either be a company employee or an individual consultant.
Delegated organizations are made up of two or more persons who are designated to perform the authorized functions of the FAA.
Whether an individual or an organization, both are considered to be designees and the FAA is responsible for their oversight and management.
- Certification of Aircraft
- Engineering design
- Manufacturing
- Operations
- Maintenance
- Certification of People
- Medical Examinations
- Pilots
- Mechanics
- Parachute Riggers
- Dispatchers
- Knowledge Testing