INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
                   AND LEGAL POLICY STAFF (AGC-7)

                                                                                                                     The International Affairs and Legal Policy Staff (AGC-7):  

• provides legal advice to the Administrator and senior FAA and DOT officials on the international aspects of FAA programs and policies;

• provides advice and guidance on development of FAA international policies and programs and their conformity with U.S. and international law and agency policies and programs;

• advises officials participating in negotiations and meetings with foreign officials;

• reviews and advises on legal initiatives and activities of foreign governments, including aviation authorities and international organizations and their impact on FAA policies and programs;

• provides legal clearance and assistance in the drafting and negotiation of international agreements on technical assistance, airworthiness, air traffic, security, R&D, and other areas related to aviation safety (Note: The Staff has been instrumental in developing, among other things, the concept of the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA), getting it cleared through the Interagency Group on International Aviation (IGIA) and the drafting, negotiation, and legal review of BASAs and the Implementation Procedures (IPs) in various fields.  The FAA has over 300 such agreements with more than 90 governments.);

• prepares and provides legal review of U.S. position papers on matters before the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other international organizations;

• represents the FAA at ICAO Assemblies and serves as U.S. Representative to the ICAO Legal Committee, and ICAO expert panels and working groups;

• prepares legal policy guidance on the import and export of aircraft, components, and parts, including international airworthiness and maintenance harmonization activities (Note: Activities in this area are currently going on between the FAA and the European Joint Aeronautical Authorities (JAA), Canada and Mexico.);

• provides legal support for the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program, which verifies foreign air carrier safety oversight (Note: In this connection, the Staff has provided advice on the establishment and institutional evolution of the IASA program and participates with the FAA Flight Standards Service in safety oversight assessments and consultations with the more than 90 foreign governments whose carriers have flights to the United States.);

• provides legal support on hijacking, unlawful interference with civil aviation, and other security matters (Note: In this regard, the Staff provides legal counsel to a statutory program for periodic security assessment of foreign airports, including review of the so-called 90-day packages that are signed by the Secretary of Transportation.  The Staff also reviews foreign air carriers' security programs and security directives, and trains and provides counsel to the Federal Air Marshals on international law and policy.);

• provides legal support for the international representatives and overseas offices;

• provides a point of contact in the FAA Office of Chief Counsel for international activities and provides liaison and coordination with other agency legal offices, as necessary and appropriate;

• provides legal policy guidance on registration of aircraft, leasing issues and the recordation of property rights in aircraft (Note: In this regard, the Staff has drafted communications to foreign governments to prevent aircraft from being dual registered.);

• provides legal support on matters involving the administration of the Aviation Insurance Program (Note: The Staff has been assisting in the development of a new insurance policy for air carriers that provide military charter service or are participants in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF).  Along with FAA and Department of Defense (DoD) managers at Headquarters, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, the Staff supports such CRAF carriers.); and 

• provides legal support to FAA crisis management functions, including the Crisis Response Working Group (CRWG), international flight prohibitions and restrictions, and support to the FAA Emergency Operations Staff (ADA-20) (Note: The CRWG manages the FAA actions in response to a domestic or international crisis or other international event or situation that poses an immediate threat to civil aviation.  The Staff is the lead legal office in preparing a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) restricting or prohibiting flight operations in an area that is the subject of U.S. or U.N. sanctions, or where civil aviation is threatened by local events.  AGC-7 supports the FAA Emergency Operations Staff in responding to domestic emergencies and natural disasters, preparation of emergency preparedness exercises, and the development of emergency response plans, procedures and cooperative agreements.  The Staff also supports FAA relations with the Department of Defense (DoD) on issues concerning the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, defense mobilization, and DoD's use of civil operators in hazardous areas.

Contact Information

Telephone: (202) 267-3515
FAX: (202) 267-5261

Personnel

International Law Links

Please Note:   Some helpful web links are listed below.  When you exit our FAA web server, the FAA Privacy Policy is no longer in effect. Linking to a web site does not constitute an endorsement by FAA or any of its employees of the sponsor of the site or the products presented on the site.

Chicago Convention and the International Aviation Security Conventions (full text -- from the McGill University Institute of Air and Space Law)

State Department Treaties in Force

U.S. Open Skies Agreements

European Union Treaties

FAA International Aviation Safety Assessment Program

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

Model Aviation Safety Oversight Laws and Regulations

U.S. State Department Travel Advisories

United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Office

Satellite Navigation and International Aviation