What is the Difference Between FAA, CAA, ICAO, EASA and JAA?

Formed in 1958, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the national aviation authority of the US and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of aviation in North America, ensuring that the skies remain safe and that all the aircraft in operation follow a strict set of guidelines to minimize danger and make sure that everybody pilot is adequately qualified for their role. In order to achieve this, the FAA has set out a decisive set of regulations known simply as the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). The FAR is a huge document which covers all aspects of aviation, and gives in-depth detail on specific airlines for everything from aircraft maintenance and pilot requirements to hot-air ballooning and model rocket launches, covering absolutely everything that is needed in order to understand how, when and what to fly. The document is sometimes referred to as 14 CFR Part xx to avoid any confusion with the Federal Acquisitions Regulations which use the same acronym. The document consists of tens of thousands of sections covering every aspect of aviation and it is very much required that pilots and air carriers are familiar with the rules outlined in the FARs.

Civil Aviation Authority is a fairly generic title used across a plethora of countries as diverse as the Czech Republic, El Salvador and Mongolia. Among the most frequently referred to as simply CAA are those of China (technically the Civil Aviation Administration of China or CAAC) and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority. The United Kingdom’s CAA does not utilize the same autonomous role of the ICAO or even wield as much leverage as many other countries’ aviation organizations; instead, the CAA is the UK’s primary regulator in certain aspects yet in other areas it defers to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). In the latter instances, the CAA effectively acts as the EASA’s local body, enforcing its rules on the UK. The UK’s CAA regulates around 50,000 active pilots and 19,000 aircraft.

The roots of the ICAO can be traced back to 1903, when the now-defunct International Commission for Air Navigation (ICAN) held its inaugural convention. No definitive outcome was reached and, in a gradual and measured process, the Convention on International Civil Aviation was signed by 52 countries in 1944. Three years later this would become the ICAO that we recognize today. The primary function of the United Nations specialized agency ICAO is to provide a set of standards by which to help regulate aviation across the world. Topics covered vary from technical aspects of aviation to units of measurement, aeronautical charts, licensing of personnel and search and rescue standards among many more. This is achieved in the form of the Statute, which is currently on its 9th edition. Standardizing aviation guidelines across countries not only increases safety but makes it a simpler process for aircraft to cross into international territory without having to rethink and alter what they are doing. Although the ICAO counts 191 Member States it is possible for the countries to modify and adjust the regulations when necessary. The ICAO provides the fundamental guidelines, but each country is free to contribute their own requirements. These changes, however, are subject to the ICAO’s approval. The ICAO is responsible for over 100,000 flights daily.