Officials from U.S. and European aviation agencies and industry wrapped up a two-day meeting in Brussels on Tuesday with general agreement on business and safety issues. FAA Acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell and Antonio Tajani, head of transport for the European Union, signed an agreement to promote technical cooperation between the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The agreement addresses aircraft certification, environmental approvals, and maintenance, and aims to enhance safety while reducing regulatory costs for manufacturers, operators and aviation authorities. Pete Bunce, president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), welcomed the new agreement. “We view this strategic partnership between the U.S. and the European Community as a real milestone that will advance our shared safety visions,” said Bunce.
“The relationship between the U.S. and Europe has proven its resilience and continued trans-Atlantic cooperation will increase efficiency and help bring new products to the global market more expeditiously. It’s good for aviation safety and business, it’s good for Europe, and it’s good for the United States.” Bunce added that he hopes the next step will be to update validation processes and EASA certification fees and charges. Those concerns had held up the agreement for several months.
