Regulations and Government
European industry praises EASA for rule implementation
Now more than five years old, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is succeeding in fulfilling its primary mission of implementing a single set of ru

Now more than five years old, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is succeeding in fulfilling its primary mission of implementing a single set of rules across 31 countries but the agency must reassess its stance on certification fees, according to industry stakeholders. Manufacturers appear happy to see the EASA replacing national aviation authorities (NAAs) in the certification process, but they question both the principle and the amount of certification fees, citing a potential conflict with the EASA’s independence. The Cologne, Germany-based agency includes all 27 European Union (EU) countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

“The creation of EASA has been positive; now we get certification in all European countries in one shot,” according to Alain Picard, Dassault’s technical director of certification. The EASA’s predecessor, the joint aviation authorities (JAA), had indirect power–and it was much less integrated. Each JAA country could have specific questions or requirements, Picard recalled. For example, only the UK required stick shakers.

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