November 10, 2023

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Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) www.sassofia.com considers the roles and responsibilities related to the functioning of the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

Introduction 

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is run by its Board and has a group director and a policy committee for each of its major specific responsibilities – airspace policy, safety regulation, economic regulation and consumer protection. Members of the Board are appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport, generally following open competition and in consultation with the Chairman of the CAA. Board members are responsible for all aspects of the CAA’s organisation and performance, subject to objectives set by the Department for Transport for the Chairman and executive directors.

Structure of the UK CAA

The Civil Aviation Authority is organised into four groups, reflecting its major responsibilities:

  • The Safety Regulation Group is tasked with ensuring that high safety standards for UK civil aviation are set and achieved in a cooperative and cost-effective manner. It must satisfy itself that: aircraft are properly designed, manufactured, operated and maintained; airlines are competent; flight crews, air traffic controllers and aircraft maintenance engineers are fit and competent; and that “licensed aerodromes” are safe to use and air traffic services and general aviation activities meet required safety standards.
  • The Economic Regulation Group is responsible for regulating air traffic services and airlines, as well as certain airports determined by the Secretary of State as “major airports”. It is responsible for providing advice to the Department for Transport on aviation policy from an economic standpoint and also collects and analyses aviation statistics for the UK. It states that its main tasks include promoting liberalisation through the removal of Government-imposed restrictions to entry to the airline market and facilitating the optimal supply and regulation of aviation infrastructure.
  • The Directorate of Airspace Policy is responsible for the planning and regulation of all UK airspace, including the navigation and communications infrastructure, to support safe and efficient operations. It also contains the Environmental Research & Consultancy Department, which provides technical advice to the Department for Transport and internally to the CAA on environmental aspects of aviation.
  • The Consumer Protection Group is responsible for enforcing a number of Government and European Union requirements intended to protect air passengers. Among its key responsibilities are: the licensing of UK airlines and the enforcement of EU requirements on airline finances; the oversight of the finances and fitness of travel companies selling flights and package holidays in the UK; and the management of the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) scheme.

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Civil Aviation Authority, EASA, SAS, SAS blogs, UK CAA, EASA Regulatory Compliant and Vocational Training, Safety Regulation, Consumer Protection, Airspace Policy, Economic Regulation