GAMA has been working for several years now to change the way small aircraft are certified by the FAA, and this week, some progress in Europe has encouraged their effort. On Tuesday, the European Aviation Safety Agency issued a notice that it intends to modernize its CS-23 certification process, which is similar to Part 23 certification for in the U.S. The proposed rule was developed with international participation and is largely based on the work of the FAA’s Part 23 Aviation Rulemaking Committee, GAMA said. The changes aim to make general aviation airplanes safer and promote the introduction of new technologies while reducing the burden and costs of certification. GAMA said it hopes the FAA will follow up with a similar proposal this summer.
The new regulations would be enforced through a set of international consensus standards overseen by the ASTM Committee, similar to the way light sport aircraft now are regulated. Under the initiative, each of the world’s aviation authorities will modernize its design certification rules. “The CS/Part 23 rulemaking continues to be a top priority for general aviation manufacturers, and we are pleased to see EASA take this important step forward,” said GAMA President Pete Bunce in a news release on Tuesday. “Our industry has strongly advocated that EASA and the FAA issue a concurrent Notice of Proposed Amendment and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, respectively, and seek to craft final CS/Part 23 airworthiness standards that ensure the highest degree of harmonization possible. We will continue to work with both European and U.S. authorities closely on this issue, and look forward to seeing a NPA and NPRM this summer.”
