The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is divided into nine geographical regions in the US with the two largest field facilities at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and the William J. Hughes Technical Center at Atlantic City, New Jersey. The FAA operates about 450 air traffic control towers or Terminal Area Approach Control Facilities (TRACONS) at the major airports.

Flights proceeding between terminal areas come under the control of Air Route Traffic Control Centers and are monitored by the FAA�s airspace system and its own fleet of airplanes equipped with precision receivers, recorders, signal analyzers, and other devices.

The FAA also conducts a great deal of industry research and acquisition such as human performance in aeronautical tasks, improvement of runways, and the effects of corrosion on aircraft structures, full scale crash tests, and other experiments that explore the effects of impact forces and fire. FAA also has a satellite technology research program for air navigation and landing systems.

The FAA regulates, sets standards, and certifies aeronautical equipment and aviation personnel including the airworthiness of aircraft and certification for pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, and instructors. The FAA also gives grants to public use airports for improvements such as runway construction and upgrades, purchase of rescue and firefighting equipment, installation of lighting, and noise-abatement measures. The FAA details the regulations for design, operation, and safety of airports, evaluates the environmental impact of development plans, and administers a noise-compatibility program.