US & EU expand aviation safety and ATM modernisation cooperation

Pictured (left to right): US FAA Administrator Michael Huerta; Ambassador Kaja Tael, Permanent Representative of Estonia to the European Union; and Henrik Hololei, Director General of the European Commission Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE)

The United States (US) and the European Union (EU) have signed amendments to two US-EU agreements that will expand areas for joint efforts on aviation safety and air traffic management (ATM) harmonisation.

The amendment to the US-EU Aviation Safety Agreement enables the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the EU to finalise arrangements for reciprocal acceptance of approvals associated with flight simulator training devices and pilot licensing.

It 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.

The second amendment expands collaboration on air traffic management modernisation. The FAA and EU share a strong commitment to harmonising air traffic technologies, standards and procedures under their respective modernisation programs, NextGen in the US and SESAR in the EU.

However, the expanded agreement will now cover the full life cycle of Air Traffic Management modernisation activities from development to deployment.