A centralized office will provide independent reviews and decisions on allegations of manager misconduct at the FAA. The Office of Investigations and Professional Responsibility’s work helps protect whistleblowers and others raising safety concerns.

The new office fulfills a key portion of Sec. 133 of the Aircraft Safety and Certification Reform Act and builds on other efforts the FAA has implemented. In 2021, the agency launched the Voluntary Safety Reporting Program. The program provides those who work in the FAA’s Aviation Safety organization the ability to report confidentially any safety concerns without fear of punitive action. Information shared and submitted via the system is used to validate or verify an aviation safety concern, identify the root cause, and determine the appropriate corrective action.