A PMA part is manufactured by a company with the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA PMA designation demonstrates the company’s authorization to produce aircraft parts that meet industry standards. As an aftermarket part, this label means the product has received adequate testing that meets FAA standards for airworthiness. It also ensures the parts have been manufactured according to approved procedures from the FAA. Historically, aftermarket products only emerged in the market after World War II, when consumers needed replacement parts for aircraft. At that time, PMA parts became available for civil aerospace applications. Their availability allowed them to become a source of competition to OEMs, eventually leading to conflicting ideas on which option is best for aerospace equipment. PMA parts can come in several different forms, from non-critical to critical. Some may need to be identical to an OEM part, while others are permitted to make minor adjustments to the OEM design.