In 1958, the United States government created the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) because of increasing safety concerns due to aviation accidents. However, they were not the first government organization that regulated air transportation. Even in 1958, the FAA shared certain responsibilities with other organizations. The responsibilities of the FAA at the time were limited when compared to their functions today, but it was an important step to effectively create a safe air transportation environment. To truly understand why the FAA was created, one must first understand the government’s role within the country’s transportation system.
Discussion
The United States Constitution gives the federal government the authority to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, regulate the postal service, formulate treaties with foreign nations, and defend the nation with military forces (Wensveen, 2007). The air transportation industry can technically fall under any of these governmental authorities. Aircraft can be used between states or foreign countries. They can be used to deliver mail through the U.S. Postal Service and be utilized for national defense. It is for these reasons that the government decided to established regulatory organizations for aviation. However, the main reasons for regulation were to ensure civil safety and advance the industry. Many different organizations have carried out these tasks. The first main department was the Post Office Department.
The Post Office Department may seem like a strange office to regulate air traffic, but their intentions were somewhat different than today’s FAA. After World War I, the heavy use of planes was noticed as a possible way to transport people and goods throughout the co...
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...ntains control over U.S. airspace.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the FAA was created to maintain safety within the airline industry. The organization has gone through many changes over the years, has had many different names, and shared responsibilities at times. The government’s regulation of the air industry is evident in the U.S. Constitution. While the government’s involvement has been significantly reduced due to deregulation, it still plays an important role in the protection of its citizens. It will remain so in the future.
Works Cited
Breyer, S. (2011). Airline Deregulation Revisited. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com
Curtis, W. (2011). The Golden Age of Air Travel. Forbes, 96. Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com
Wensveen, J. G. (2007). Air Transportation: A Management Perpsective. Brookfield: Ashgate Publishing Group.
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The perennial crisis in the airline industry: Deregulation and innovation. Order No. 3351230, Claremont Graduate University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses,, 662-n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304861508?accountid=8364.
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