Which statement best describes authority?

• A. Accountability for outcomes
• B. Power to act
• C. Both power and accountability equally
• D. Neither power nor accountability

Answer: (B)

Authority is the power to act within a defined role. In aviation management, this means having the legal or organizational right to issue instructions, make decisions, and allocate resources needed to get tasks done. That power to act is what enables timely and effective action, which is essential for safety and smooth operations. Accountability, on the other hand, is about being responsible for the outcomes of those actions and answering for results. You can be accountable for what happens, but that doesn’t by itself grant you the ability to act. So the best description of authority is the power to act; the other ideas mix responsibility with capability, which are related but not the same.