CAA begins study to identify need for standardised corporate aviation regulations
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has launched a study into the regulation of corporate aviation by its overseas territories, with harmonisation a possible outcome.
Air Safety Support International (ASSI), the wholly owned subsidiary of the CAA responsible for co-ordinating air transport rules in the UK's remaining colonies, is undertaking a risk assessment project with Cranfield University, aimed at identifying the need for standardised rules.
Overseas territories were singled out for concern in an International Civil Aviation Organisation audit of the UK in 2000, with Bermuda and the Cayman Islands significant for their large general-aviation registers. The UK implemented the Overseas Territories Aviation Requirements (OTAR) in 2002, but each of the 11 dominions interprets its own enforcement.
Rod Dean, ASSI chief executive, says "one of our tasks is to create a cohesive set of rules" among the territories. However, existing CAA regulations in mainland UK – airworthiness and operational regulations – are being transferred progressively to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
EASA has yet to define its rules for business and general aviation, as work conducted by its predecessor the Joint Aviation Authorities on operating rules two and four (JAR Ops 2 and 4) was not completed. There is still disagreement between EU member states over issues such as flightcrew time limitations and whether fractional ownership should be regulated as stringently as commercial air transport.
Many Bermudan and Cayman registered aircraft, numbering close to 250 business aircraft, operate in other global territories and owners could lobby national civil aviation directors to retain US-style rules if the two EASA regulations diverge from US Federal Aviation Requirements (FAR).
Dean says ASSI would "hate to see any significant divergence on operating rules", but adds that it is not ASSI's intention to "jump into any argument" between the two large regulators.
This study will run until June and its findings used to form new OTARs, to be in place by the end of the year.
JUSTIN WASTNAGE/LONDON
Source: Flight International
