The Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has been in place for over a decade, and it has been a crucial element in ensuring aviation safety and the efficient flow of air travel between the United States and the European Union.
The agreement was signed in 2011, after years of negotiation between the two agencies. It established a framework for the FAA and the EASA to recognize each other`s aviation safety standards and certification processes, allowing for the acceptance of each other`s products and services.
The main purpose of the BASA is to reduce regulatory burdens for manufacturers and operators of aircraft, components, and related products, while ensuring that safety standards and certification requirements are not compromised. This, in turn, promotes harmonization and interoperability between the two regulatory agencies.
Under the agreement, U.S. and EU companies can obtain certifications from either the FAA or the EASA, depending on their needs. This has led to a significant reduction in certification costs and time-to-market for manufacturers of aerospace products, which benefits both the companies and the consumers.
Moreover, the BASA also facilitates cooperation and information sharing between the FAA and the EASA, leading to a better understanding of aviation safety issues and the development of more effective safety standards.
In recent years, the agreement has been expanded to include new areas such as drone regulations, which are rapidly evolving due to the growth of the unmanned aircraft systems industry. The FAA and the EASA have been working together closely to ensure that their regulations for drones are complementary and do not hinder innovation and growth in the industry.
In conclusion, the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the FAA and the EASA is essential to the safe and efficient operation of air travel between the United States and the European Union. The agreement has been successful in promoting harmonization and interoperability between the two regulatory agencies, reducing certification costs and time-to-market for manufacturers, and facilitating cooperation on aviation safety issues. As the aerospace industry continues to evolve, the BASA will remain a cornerstone of U.S.-EU aviation relations.