National aviation authority
A national aviation authority (NAA) or civil aviation authority is a government statutory authority in each country that oversees the approval and regulation of civil aviation.
Role
Due to the inherent dangers in the use of flight vehicles, NAA's typically regulate the following critical aspects of aircraft airworthiness and their operation:
Design of aircraft, engines, airborne equipment and ground-based equipment affecting flight safety
Conditions of manufacture and test of aircraft and equipment
Maintenance of aircraft and equipment
Operation of aircraft and equipment
Licensing of pilots and maintenance engineers
Licensing of airports and navigational aids
Standards for air traffic control
Depending on the legal system of the parent country, the NAA will derive its power from an act of Parliament (such as the Civil or Federal Aviation Act), and is then empowered to make regulations within the bounds of the act. This allows technical aspects of airworthiness to be dealt with by subject matter experts and not politicians.