Groups Call For Improved European-U.S. Coordination In Aviation

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) joined Airlines For Europe (A4E); Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD); and the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) in welcoming the call for enhanced alignment between the U.S. and the European Union (EU) for aviation policy and regulation. The groups have expressed support for improved coordination on safety and innovation priorities cited during the 2024 FAA-EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) International Safety Conference.

GAMA said in a statement, “It is more critical than ever that the EU and the U.S. ensure a coordinated approach with these priorities in mind.” The GAMA statement noted the existing EU-U.S. bilateral aviation safety agreement (BASA) as an important component in pressing for collective priorities. These include ensuring “the highest level of aviation safety, with clear and consistent standards, a high level of trust in products, and solid information sharing processes.”

GAMA wrote: “At a time where supply chains are stretched and demand remains high, the EU-U.S. aviation industry would welcome more certainty around the timeline of these processes. This would in turn support operators’ fleet management both in the U.S. and the EU and improve the competitiveness of our respective aviation sectors.”

The groups collectively believe that ongoing efforts between the FAA and EASA are an important step toward laying the groundwork for a modernized and harmonized system that can improve cooperative air traffic management systems (ATMs), not only for today’s products and technology, but also for the future. “We welcome building on this foundation through SESAR [Single European Sky ATM Research] and Nextgen [in the U.S.],” GAMA wrote.