SUMMARY:
On Sept. 15, the Federal Aviation Administration signed agreements with two international regulatory partners, the European Aviation Safety Agency and Transport Canada Civil Aviation that allow the authorities to rely on each other's regulatory systems in the design and certification of aviation articles. The agreements 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 agreements with the EASA and the TCCA now allow reciprocal acceptance of technical standard orders. That is, FAA TSO'ed articles are now acceptable for installation on European and Canadian aircraft without additional certification. And, reciprocally, European and Canadian TSO'ed articles are acceptable for U.S. installations.
By relying on the robust regulatory oversight demonstrated by the EASA, the TCCA and the FAA, the reciprocal acceptance allows the agencies to eliminate their duplicative approval processes, get safety-enhancing equipment installed on aircraft more quickly and will make the agencies' 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 with the EASA also facilitates a simplified acceptance and validation of basic supplemental type certificates. 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 agreements can be found at: www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/international/bilateral_agreements/baa_basa_listing/
AEA COMMENTARY:
The Aircraft Electronics Association commends and thanks the FAA for its leadership in promoting globalization of the aviation industry. The topic of the enhanced global acceptance of TSO 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 FAA 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.