Skip to main content

Federal Aviation Administration

Jump To:

Recent Reports

View More Reports

Open Recommendations (38 total)

Commercial Space Transportation: Improvements to FAA's Workforce Planning Needed to Prepare for the Industry's Anticipated Growth

GAO-19-437
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Aviation Administration The Associate Administrator of AST should develop and document a plan for periodically assessing whether staff possess the necessary skills and competencies to achieve programmatic goals, such as annually administering a skills assessment survey. (Recommendation 4)
Open
In July 2023, AST provided us with information related to the office's efforts to ensure their workforce has the skills needed to carry out AST's missions. These efforts include, according to AST's 2023-2027 strategic plan: conducting quarterly meetings with AST directorates to identify critical hiring needs with the goal of improving diversity and including a broad spectrum of experience; developing a robust AST recruiting and retention program to address the needs of an evolving workforce; and tailoring an exit survey to help AST understand driving forces behind attrition. In addition, AST's 2023 business plan states that AST will create and begin implementation of a staffing strategy that includes requirements, position priorities, attrition forecasting, affordability, and contractor mix. However, AST officials have not provided us with documentation of their plan to periodically assess whether staff possess the necessary skills and competencies to achieve programmatic goals. We will continue to monitor AST's progress in implementing this recommendation.

Commercial Space Transportation: Improvements to FAA's Workforce Planning Needed to Prepare for the Industry's Anticipated Growth

GAO-19-437
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Aviation Administration The Associate Administrator of AST should develop workload metrics that encompass the whole office and that would allow AST to determine an appropriate workforce size and composition. (Recommendation 1)
Open
AST officials told us in June 2023 that it has taken a number of steps to determine an appropriate workforce size and composition. However, it has still not developed workload metrics specific to its management and support functions. We will continue to monitor AST's implementation of this recommendation.

Commercial Space Launch Insurance: FAA Needs to Fully Address Mandated Requirements

GAO-18-57
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Aviation Administration The FAA Administrator should fulfill the CSLCA mandate to include ensuring a balance of risk between the federal government and launch companies as part of FAA's MPL methodology evaluation by reexamining the current probability thresholds. (Recommendation 1)
Open
In January 2021, Department of Transportation (DOT) officials stated that FAA had not yet finished reexamining the current maximum probable loss (MPL) probability thresholds. The officials also stated that FAA remains focused on streamlining the launch and reentry license regulations (SLR2) rulemaking and subsequent 27 Advisory Circulars. According to the officials, they had re-chartered COMSTAC, and expect to develop a priority list of all commercial space regulations by December 2021, which will include Part 440, Financial Responsibility. Subsequently, in July 2021, FAA officials told us that FAA will address these recommendations at the time it updates Part 440, which is postponed while the agency remains focused on activities related to its streamlined launch and reentry licensing regulations. In March 2023, FAA formed a Financial Responsibility Aerospace Rulemaking Committee to solicit information about updating the overall financial responsibility regime. They expect a report from the committee in early 2024, with rulemaking beginning shortly thereafter.

Commercial Space Launch Insurance: FAA Needs to Fully Address Mandated Requirements

GAO-18-57
Show
3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Aviation Administration The FAA Administrator should fulfill the CSLCA mandate to analyze the cost impact of implementing its revised MPL methodology by evaluating the impact on the direct costs of launch companies and the federal government. (Recommendation 2)
Open
In March 2022, Department of Transportation (DOT) officials stated that FAA is convening an Aerospace Rulemaking Committee (SpARC), projected to start by June 2022, and will use this committee to gather industry input on potential changes to Part 440 of FAA's regulations. The officials stated that they will determine whether any cost impact research is necessary once they have received industry input from the SpARC. FAA officials told us that, as with the other recommendations, they will finalize addressing this recommendation at the time it updates Part 440, which is postponed while the agency remains focuses on activities related to its streamlined launch and reentry licensing regulations. In March of 2023, FAA formed a Financial Responsibility Aerospace Rulemaking Committee to solicit information about updating the overall financial responsibility regime. They expect a report from the committee in early 2024, with rulemaking beginning shortly thereafter.
Federal Aviation Administration The FAA Administrator should fulfill the CSLCA mandate to evaluate its MPL methodology in consultation with the commercial space sector and insurance providers by consulting with those entities on the cost impact of its revised MPL methodology, including an updated cost-of-casualty amount, on the launch industry and the federal government. (Recommendation 3)
Open
In January 2021, Department of Transportation (DOT) officials stated that FAA had not yet finished reexamining the current maximum probable loss (MPL) probability thresholds. The officials also stated that FAA has worked with COMSTAC to determine that the cost-of-casualty amount should be updated to $5 million. According to the officials, this effort will continue through January 2022. Subsequently, in July 2021, FAA officials told us that FAA will address these recommendations at the time it updates Part 440, which is postponed while the agency remains focused on activities related to its streamlined launch and reentry licensing regulations. In March of 2023, FAA formed a Financial Responsibility Aerospace Rulemaking Committee. The objective of the committe is to solicit information, concerns, and opinions about updating the financial responsibility regime for licensed launch and reentry. MPL methodology has been briefed and discussed in the committee meetings, along with the cost of a casualty. These topics will be included in the recommendation report, which is expected in early 2024.
Federal Aviation Administration The FAA Administrator should establish an estimated completion date for developing and implementing a plan to establish guidance on the most appropriate MPL methodologies and tools to use for each launch. (Recommendation 4)
Open
In March 2022, Department of Transportation (DOT) officials told us that FAA is convening an Aerospace Rulemaking Committee (SpARC), projected to start by June 2022, and will use this committee to gather industry input on potential changes to Part 440 of FAA's regulations. The results of this committee's work will be used to develop any plans for revising FAA maximum probable loss (MPL) methodologies and tools, as well as associated completion dates. The officials also stated that they have gathered some data on the MPL methodologies and that they are starting to look at methodologies and tools for classes of launch vehicles. FAA stated that they had not yet finished reexamining the current MPL thresholds. As of August 2022, these efforts were underway but not complete. In March of 2023, FAA formed a Financial Responsibility Aerospace Rulemaking Commitee in March of 2023. The MPL methodology has been briefed and discussed in the committee meetings, and the FAA may modify the methodology based on the committee's recommendations. The committee is expected to issue a report in early 2024.

Cybersecurity: DHS and Selected Agencies Need to Address Shortcomings in Implementation of Network Monitoring Program

GAO-20-598
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Aviation Administration The FAA Administrator should document agency-specific variations from federal core configuration benchmarks for each operating system on its network. (Recommendation 8)
Open
As of April 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration has not provided sufficient evidence to close this recommendation. When we confirm what actions FAA has taken we will provide updated information.

Cybersecurity: DHS and Selected Agencies Need to Address Shortcomings in Implementation of Network Monitoring Program

GAO-20-598
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Aviation Administration The FAA Administrator should configure its CDM tools to compare configuration settings against federal core benchmarks and agency-specific variations applicable to its environment. (Recommendation 9)
Open
As of April 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration has not provided sufficient evidence to close this recommendation. When we confirm what actions FAA has taken we will provide updated information.

Aviation Cybersecurity: FAA Should Fully Implement Key Practices to Strengthen Its Oversight of Avionics Risks

GAO-21-86
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Aviation Administration The FAA Administrator should direct the Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, based on the assessment of avionics cybersecurity risks, to develop and implement guidance for avionics cybersecurity testing of new airplane designs that includes independent testing. (Recommendation 3)
Open
FAA agreed with our recommendation. In November 2023, FAA provided an update for addressing this recommendation. Specifically, FAA plans to issue new policy and guidance for aircraft systems information security protection in the third quarter of FY2024. We will continue to communicate with FAA and monitor its actions in response to this recommendation.

Aviation Certification: FAA Needs to Strengthen Its Design Review Process for Small Airplanes

GAO-21-85
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Aviation Administration The Executive Director of the Aircraft Certification Service should assess the resources needed to efficiently implement Amendment 64. (Recommendation 1)
Open
As of August 2023, FAA's Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) appointed an executive with direct accountability for consensus standards-related activities and created a Consensus Standards Management Branch to support these efforts and ensure that FAA support requirements and activities are properly coordinated and aligned to agency priorities. DOT also noted that AIR has also been tracking measures of effectiveness for its Amendment 64 implementation, including: participation in standards development relative to FAA priority; number of standards issued each year relative to FAA priority; and number and time for FAA acceptance of standards. We will continue to monitor FAA's progress in implementing this recommendation.
View More Recommendations

Related Pages