European safety agency vows to be pushy in drive for reforms, starting with the new corporate aviation rules

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) plans to play a more overtly proactive role in pushing regulations through European Union processes, starting with a debate over changes to corporate aviation operating rules.

EASA published the initial draft of how it expects to reform business aviation operating requirements in December last year and is drawing up final proposals.

Currently, public transport is covered by Joint Aviation Require­ments on Operations 1 (JAR Ops 1) for fixed-wing and JAR Ops 3 for rotary-wing aircraft. Draft rules governing corporate aviation, JAR Ops 2, have languished through a lack of political agreement.

EASA says it will now push its reforms, which include a move away from definition by activity towards definition by aircraft complexity, by exerting more overt behind-the-scenes pressure.

Claude Probst, EASA rule-making director, says EASA's predecessor the Joint Aviation Authorities lacked the power to push through regulations since it required unanimity from its member governments. EASA is an arm of the European Union and its proposals can be passed by a majority if supported by the European Commission. The agency sees flash points in the new rules for non-commercial aviation in areas such as flightcrew limitations, light sport pilot licences and the regulation of fractional ownership schemes (Flight International, 1-7 March).

Probst says: "If, after the first response to the proposal [put forward by the Commission], we see there is a blocking majority, we can then see if there are some weaker supporters of the opposite position and work to convince them." EASA will actively lobby to reverse opposition to reforms it sees as crucial, he adds. Probst points to issues such as single-engine aircraft operation under instrument flight rules for commercial flights as a contentious issue that could have been solved much earlier under the new system.

JUSTIN WASTNAGE/LONDON

Source: Flight International