Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom)
| Abbreviation | CAA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1972 |
| Legal status | Statutory corporation |
| Purpose | Aviation regulator |
| Location |
|
Region served | United Kingdom British Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies |
Chief Executive | Rob Bishton |
Chairman | Sir Stephen Hillier |
Parent organisation | Department for Transport |
| Website | www |
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the statutory corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the United Kingdom. Its areas of responsibility include:
- Supervising the issuing of pilots and aircraft engineers licences, testing of equipment, calibrating of navaids, and many other inspections (Civil Aviation Flying Unit).
- Managing the regulation of security standards, including vetting of all personnel in the aviation industry (Directorate of Aviation Security).
- Overseeing the national protection scheme for customers abroad in the event of a travel company failure (Air Travel Organisers' Licensing – ATOL).
- Licensing of spaceflight activities in the UK. This includes: Launch, Range Control, Orbital Operators, and Spaceport licence issuing (Space Industry Act 2018).
The CAA is a public corporation of the Department for Transport, liaising with the government via the Standards Group of the Cabinet Office.