Definition
An FAA inspector assigned to oversee the flight operations of a specific certificate holder, such as an airline, charter operator, or training provider. The POI is the FAA's primary point of contact for that operator and is responsible for approving training programs, operations specifications, manuals, check airman designations, and other operational matters tied to the operator's certificate.
Plain English
The FAA inspector personally assigned to keep an eye on a particular airline or commercial operator. They approve how that operator trains pilots and runs flights, and they're the FAA's main contact for that company.
Context Anchor
You may see POI in FAA handbooks, company manuals, approval letters, training records, or discussions about who at the FAA oversees an operator’s flight operations.
Derivation
Principal' here means 'main' or 'lead' — the chief inspector for that operator. It does not mean 'principle' (a rule or belief), which is a common spelling mix-up and the reason the source acronym list shows the wrong word.
Why Pilots Care
If you fly for a Part 121 or 135 operator, your training program, checkrides, and operating procedures are shaped by what your company's POI has approved. Changes to how the operator trains or dispatches flights typically need POI sign-off.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as “principle,” meaning a rule or idea. In FAA usage, the word is “principal,” meaning the main or assigned inspector for that operator.
Example Sentence 1
The airline's POI approved the revised training curriculum before the new-hire class began ground school.
Example Sentence 2
During the base inspection the POI reviewed training records for compliance.