The Subcommittee on Aviation has jurisdiction over all aspects of civil aviation, including safety, infrastructure, labor, commerce, and international issues. All programs of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) except for research activities, are within the purview of the Subcommittee.

The Aviation Subcommittee is also traditionally the lead subcommittee with jurisdiction over the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the federal agency responsible for investigating civil aviation accidents and other transportation accidents. The Essential Air Service program, which ensures commercial air service to smaller communities, the war risk insurance program, which provides insurance coverage for commercial flights to high-risk parts of the world, the National Mediation Board (NMB), and passenger and cargo commercial space transportation also fall within the purview of the Aviation Subcommittee.

Issues and agencies under the jurisdiction of the Aviation Subcommittee include:

Federal Aviation Administration
National Mediation Board
Air traffic management
Air traffic control modernization
Airport capacity
Airport Improvement Program grants
Aviation antitrust issues
Aviation labor, as governed by the Railway Labor Act
Aviation safety
Commercial aviation (both passenger and cargo)
Essential Air Service for small communities
General aviation
International aviation
National Transportation Safety Board
War risk insurance
Commercial space transportation and tourism
Air carrier operations (both passenger and cargo)
Use of the navigable airspace
Unmanned aircraft systems
Aviation commerce