Civil Aviation Authority of the United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the public corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of aviation in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1972 following the recommendations of a government committee chaired by Sir Ronald Edwards. The main Act of Parliament regulating aviation in the UK is the Civil Aviation Act 1982. Previously, regulation of aviation was the responsibility of the Department of Transport. Responsibility for air traffic control in the UK passed to NATS in 2001.
The CAA employs just over 1,000 staff, mainly in two offices, CAA House in Kingsway, Holborn in London and Aviation House, next to London Gatwick Airport.
The CAA directly or indirectly regulates all aspects of aviation in the UK. In some aspects of aviation it is the primary regulator, in other areas, where the responsibility for regulation has passed to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the CAA acts as EASA's local office, implementing the regulations. Representatives from the CAA sit on EASA's advisory bodies, taking part in the Europe-wide regulation process.
The CAA's responsibilities include:
- Flight Crew, Aircraft Engineer and Air Traffic Controller licensing;
- Medical regulation of safety-critical aviation personnel (the CAA works to strict medical guidelines which are often seen as extremely as harsh towards would-be pilots including a blanket ban on those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Asperger syndrom);
- Licensing of aerodromes and other aviation facilities;
- Maintaining the UK register of aircraft;
- Licensing of aircraft;
- Regulation of aircraft airworthiness and related engineering functions;
- Economic regulation, including the regulation of monopoly and near-monopoly organisations involved in the provision of aviation services (for example National Air Traffic Services and BAA plc), as well as regulating aviation-related organisations operating in a competitive marketplace (for example UK-based airlines);
- Development of aviation policy, both within the UK and Europe-wide.
The CAA also oversees the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL). The ATOL licence offers financial protection for travellers booking package tours, in the form of insurance to provide return journeys for holidaymakers stranded abroad by the sudden bankruptcy of an airline or tour operator.
