Founded in 1931, NASAO is one of the oldest and continuously active aviation advocates in the United States, even predating the Federal Aviation Administration (formerly the Civil Aeronautics Authority).

Our interest in aviation is from the perspective of governmental officials who make decisions on funding aviation systems and airport infrastructure throughout our country's more than 5,000 public-use airports. NASAO represents all fifty state aviation agencies plus Guam and Puerto Rico. Each state has a governmental agency of "aeronautics," which administers FAA and state funds to a full range of public-use airports.

Each year, these state aviation agencies, under NASAO, hold an annual convention with a broad aviation participant base to collect and share ideas on how best to spread public funds to make airports safer and more efficient and discuss current industry issues.