Chris Carter recently retired from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) where he served as the Director of the Asia-Pacific Region, located in Singapore, from June 2021 to June 2025. He will soon join Flight Safety Foundation as the Director Asia Pacific Centre of Aviation Safety.
At the FAA, Chris led and promoted US interests advancing civil aviation safety and efficiency in the Asia-Pacific Region supported by a staff of twenty people located in Beijing, New Delhi and Tokyo as well as Singapore and Washington, DC. He was the FAA liaison to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Previously, Chris served as the Deputy Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives in the Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) of the FAA’s Aviation Safety (AVS) Line of Business where he collaborated with industry stakeholders, international regulators and across AVS to fully integrate the certification and operational aspects of an aircraft lifecycle.
Chris joined the FAA in 2004 as a manager in the Aircraft Engineering Division. Prior to joining the FAA, Chris spent 18 years in the aviation industry, starting as an aircraft technician in the UK. After earning his engineering degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), he worked as an engineer and a Designated Engineering Representative (DER) for several years. He has held various management positions in the aircraft modification and interior completions sector of the industry where he managed programs; negotiated supplier agreements and oversaw regulatory and safety compliance. Chris also holds an MBA from Webster University and a Professional Engineers License.