FAA inspectors' workload has been affected greatly by airline deregulation.

• A. deregulation
• B. automation and outsourcing
• C. unionization
• D. privatization

Answer: (A)

The question is about what fundamental change caused FAA inspectors’ workload to increase. Deregulation changed the operating landscape of U.S. airlines—removing previous controls on entry, routes, and fares led to more carriers, more flights, and greater operational complexity. With more operators to oversee, more aircraft to certify and inspect, and broader maintenance oversight required to ensure safety across a larger, more diverse system, the inspectors’ workload naturally grows.

The other options describe different ways work can be altered—automation and outsourcing affect how tasks are performed, unionization concerns labor relations, and privatization changes ownership structures—but none of these explain a broad increase in the volume of airline operations requiring regulatory oversight in the way deregulation does.