European regulators have long restricted the use of single-engine turbine and turboprop airplanes for commercial operations at night or in instrument meteorological conditions, but that’s about to change. After 20 years of work and negotiations between industry and government agencies, a key EASA committee has voted to approve a new regulatory framework that will allow those operations. “This new regulation will help expand the market for passenger transport to underserved markets and improve overnight cargo delivery not only in central Europe, but in the remote regions of the continent as well,” said Jens Hennig, GAMA’s vice president of operations.
These operations already are quite common around the world and are based on ICAO standards issued in 2005, GAMA said. The new regulation now must complete a final round of scrutiny by the EU institutions before its official publication, after which it can take effect. It’s expected that process will take about six months. The new rule will be “a welcome development for manufacturers, operators, and service providers,” Hennig said.
