FAA and EU to support aviation safety, air traffic modernisation

December 14, 2017: In a fresh development, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Commission have agreed to expand cooperation in the areas of aviation safety and air traffic management modernisation (ATM).

According to reports, FAA administrator Michael Huerta, Ambassador Kaja Tael, Permanent Representative of Estonia to the European Union, and European Commission Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) Director General Henrik Hololei have signed amendments to two US-EU agreements that would expand areas for joint efforts on aviation safety and air traffic management harmonisation.

“Our collaboration remains vitally important for the safe and efficient movement of passengers and cargo on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Huerta.

“Today's agreement continues a deep commitment to cooperation and harmonisation shared by America and the EU. In particular, I wish to thank the European Commission and DG MOVE Director General Hololeifor for the joint collaborative efforts.”

Reports suggest that the amendment to the US-EU Aviation Safety Agreement will enable the FAA and the EU to finalise arrangements for reciprocal acceptance of approvals associated with flight simulator training devices and pilot licensing.

The amendment also permits future collaboration in aircraft operations and air traffic safety oversight.

By reducing duplication and leveraging resources, the FAA and EU can better allocate resources to areas with higher risks to aviation safety. Industry, government and the flying public will benefit from this expanded safety cooperation through streamlined procedures and reduced costs.

The second amendment expands collaboration in the area of air traffic management modernization. The FAA and EU shares a strong commitment to harmonising air traffic technologies, standards and procedures under modernisation programs%u2014NextGen (in the US) and SESAR (in the EU).

The expanded agreement will cover the full life cycle of ATM modernisation activities from development to deployment.

Hololei said, “The broadened scope of the two agreements confirms the strong commitment to continue to work together for the future of aviation safety%u2014always the highest priority in our aviation agenda. I would like to thank FAA and Huerta for the outstanding cooperation that has led us here today, and for the excellent work he has done all along his mandate in supporting a very close and fruitful cooperation with the EU.”