SUMMARY:
On Sept. 15, the European Aviation Safety Agency signed an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration that allows the authorities to rely on each other's regulatory systems in the design and certification of aviation articles. The agreement will eliminate duplicate processes, get safety-enhancing equipment installed on aircraft more quickly, and save time and money for both industry and the regulatory authorities involved.
MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS:
The international agreement between the EASA and the FAA allows for the reciprocal acceptance of technical standard orders. That is, FAA TSO'ed articles are now acceptable for installation on European aircraft without additional certification. And, reciprocally, European ETSO'ed articles are acceptable for U.S. installations without the duplicative FAA TSO.
By relying on the robust regulatory oversight demonstrated by the FAA and the EASA, the reciprocal acceptance allows the agencies to eliminate their duplicative approval processes, get safety-enhancing equipment installed on aircraft more quickly and will make both agency's workload more manageable. In addition, for industry, the elimination of duplicate approvals will eliminate duplicate international certifications, thereby saving time and money and, in many cases, will allow the installation of the latest safety-enhancing technologies years sooner.
The new agreement also facilitates a simplified acceptance and validation of basic supplemental type certificates with the FAA. An audit process will ensure that technical classifications continue to meet established criteria, and make sure standards are being met.
More information on the new agreement can be found at: http://easa.europa.eu/document-library/bilateral-agreements/eu-usa
AEA COMMENTARY:
The Aircraft Electronics Association commends and thanks the EASA for its leadership in promoting globalization of the aviation industry. The topic of the enhanced global acceptance of ETSOs and the simplified validation of basic STCs is a topic of discussion at the 2015 AEA Regional Meetings.
While the changes to the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements have been penned, none of the authorities have published guidance regarding the implementation of these changes. The AEA encourages the EASA to develop and publish policies and guidance as soon as possible so that industry can fully benefit from its efforts.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Ric Peri, AEA vice president of government and industry affairs, by email at ricp@aea.net or by phone at 202-589-1144.