Aviation regulatory agencies are charged with oversight of the aviation industry. Such agencies are primarily governmental or international organizations. The issue of safety is central to any such agency: Not only must the aviation industry be supervised, passenger aircraft must also be certified safe. How should this supervision and certification be accomplished? Is the most effective regulation done with a centralized system? What are the alternatives? What standards should be used? Aviation regulatory agencies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States, have been established to address these issues.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in its draft Flight Plan 2004–2008, states that it regulates more than half of all air traffic. The FAA also certifies more than seventy percent of all large jet aircraft. Most countries around the world have their own civil aviation authorities to devise and implement regulations...