It isn’t uncommon for someone to be unhappy with an FAA decision. Fortunately, our laws provide a mechanism for appealing or objecting to certain final orders or decisions issued by the FAA. Specifically, 49 U.S.C. § 46110(a) provides that a person with a substantial interest in the FAA’s order/decision “may apply for review of the order by filing a petition for review in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit or in the court of appeals of the United States for the circuit in which the person resides or has its principal place of business.” The petition must be filed not later than sixty (60) days after the order is issued unless reasonable grounds exist for filing later than the 60th day.
However, in order for an FAA order to be subject to review by a court, the order must be “final.” What does it mean to be “final”? Well, the courts have held that two requirements must be met: (1) the FAA’s action must evidence the completion of the agency’s decisionmaking process, rather than simply tentative or subject to further consideration; and (2) the FAA’s action must determine certain rights or obligations, or result in legal consequences. Courts also consider whether the decision or order is at a stage where judicial review would interfere with or disrupt the FAA’s administrative/decisionmaking process.
So, for example, if the FAA issues a letter merely restating a previously adopted interpretation of a regulation, that would not be considered a a “final” decision. However, if the FAA issued a new interpretation or clarified an existing interpretation, in either of those instances it is quite possible that the FAA’s action would be considered a “final” decision subject to appeal.
Additionally, if the FAA issues a letter or notice in which it indicates that a party’s practices may potentially violate the law, that letter or notice may not necessarily be the completion of the agency’s decisionmaking process such that it determines a party’s legal rights or obligations. For example, neither a letter of investigation nor a notice of proposed certificate action is considered final agency action because the FAA hasn’t yet determined whether it will actually pursue enforcement action and issue a final order subject to appeal.
As a result, if you are concerned about something the FAA says or does, before you run to the courthouse to file a petition asking a Judge to tell the FAA it is wrong, make sure the FAA’s action is actually a “final” action subject to judicial review. Otherwise, you could end up wasting time and money only to have the Judge tell you that the Court doesn’t have the authority to even consider your arguments.
