Elisabeth R. DeFrancesco

Staff Analyst

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Bachelor of Science, Industrial Relations, 1983

Ms. DeFrancesco has over 35 years of aviation operations and safety experience.  As a Staff Analyst at PAI Consulting, she uses her experience in technical writing and regulatory compliance to support PAI’s Government and industry clients as a subject matter expert.  Ms. DeFrancesco’s duties include developing reports for working groups executing regulatory and Government‑mandated efforts, analyzing and drafting prospective regulations, drafting corporate flight operations manuals in accordance with applicable regulations and best practices, facilitating joint Government/industry meetings, and performing research and data analysis to support Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs.

Ms. DeFrancesco’s major projects at PAI have included managing and supporting several regulatory projects for the FAA, aviation rulemaking committees, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).  She has conducted research and prepared notices of proposed rulemaking, advisory circulars, final rules, historical reviews, economic evaluations, program plans, manuals, summaries of comments to proposed rules, and aviation‑related studies.  In addition, Ms. DeFrancesco manages the planning and onsite support for the twice-yearly Aviation Safety InfoShare conference, which is attended by over 1,000 participants, including a variety of aviation safety professions (Government, commercial, and general aviation operators; corporate and business operators; associations; and international operators). 

Ms. DeFrancesco has direct experience with airline operations involving in-flight services, aircraft cabin safety issues, ground services, and security procedures, and has conducted several Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 121 air carrier and corporate flight department operational audits.  Ms. DeFrancesco has directed air carrier evaluation teams in the customer services and in-flight services areas, which included an extensive review of the carriers’ customer service, flight operations, and in-flight services manuals; in-flight training program; and recordkeeping systems to ensure compliance with 14 CFR.