Three hundred people from across the European general aviation community attended the 2018 European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Annual Safety Conference in Vienna, Austria, earlier this week. During the two-day event, the agency reviewed progress and set out its future commitments for the “GA Roadmap,” an initiative launched in 2014 that EASA says aims to provide “innovative, better, cheaper and safer General Aviation (GA) in Europe.” In addition, the agency explored plans and ideas on how to foster the development of more affordable, yet modern aircraft.
According to EASA, the conference is one of the ways it seeks to engage with the industry on the evolution of GA during a time of rapid technological advancement. An array of European GA manufacturers, developers of hybrid and solar-powered aircraft, UAV and air taxi companies, and cost-sharing platforms—as well as GA associations and policy representatives—participated in the conference’s panels and seminars. Topics under discussion ranged from of how to share available airspace to how startup aviation businesses can be encouraged to improve aviation safety.
The keynote speaker for the event was Andr Borschberg, who is the world record holder for the highest altitude solar-powered flight and for the longest solo flight in an airplane of any kind. EASA’s Executive Director Patrick Ky closed the conference on Wednesday, showing appreciation for the truly collaborative spirit of all stakeholders.
