SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

As set forth in Title 49 of the United States Code (49 U.S.C.), the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (Administrator) may issue air carrier, air operating, and air agency certificates. An application for a certificate must be under oath when the Administrator requires; and be in the form, contain information, and be filed and served in the way the Administrator prescribes.^[1] Only when the FAA receives a complete application in a manner prescribed by the Administrator shall the entity be considered an applicant.^[2] The FAA's certification offices have, in recent years, experienced significant backlog and resource constraints related to the timing and delay in responsiveness by ( printed page 23425) applicants for various types of FAA certification. The notice described in the paragraph that follows provides updated guidance to inspectors to ensure all certifications continue proceeding in a timely fashion.

On May 23, 2025, the FAA published updated policy on processing air carrier, air operating, and air agency applications for certification. As provided in the revised policy, the FAA will no longer accept applications that are incomplete or not submitted in a form or manner acceptable to the Administrator. In addition, an applicant may withdraw its application at any point during the certification process and the FAA may terminate a certification in which the applicant does not proceed with certification requirements. The updated policy is found in Notice 8900.735: Disposition of Incomplete or Insufficient Air Operator and Air Agency Certification Applications.

90 FR 23424