The FAA plans to streamline the certification process for new aircraft
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States has proposed a revamp of the certification process for new aircraft types in order to make it faster in the future.
The FAA also expects this more agile approach to bring it in closer alignment with its European counterpart, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
This change of tack, which was reported by several news outlets, including Reuters and Bloomberg, follows the conclusion, on June 18, 2026, of the annual three-day joint conference on safety organized by the FAA and EASA, this year held at Chantilly, Virginia.
The event, titled ‘Safety Together: Innovation, Integration and Trust’, gathered some 400 aviation safety professionals and was also attended by the heads of both aviation agencies, Bryan Bedford of the FAA and Florian Guillermet, of EASA, who pledged to cooperate together more closely in the so-called ‘New Era of Aviation’.
Specifically, the two agencies have pledged to strengthen their information exchange mechanisms as a means of promoting a stronger safety culture, advancing Safety Management Systems (SMS) for more data-driven decision-making.
They also aim to harmonize their respective certification pathways further, accelerate the integration of automated flightdeck technologies, and accelerate the use of Portable Electronic Devices (PED) in the cockpit to be better able to access real time data in an operational environment.
Aircrew training, including simulator capabilities, will also be streamlined in order to adapt it to automated environments.
The two agencies also plan to strengthen their cooperation when it comes to facing off against emerging safety risks, ranging from cyber threats and extreme weather to interference with navigational equipment as a result of ‘bad actor’ actions.
A shortening and simplification of the aircraft certification process, while preserving safety standards, is also likely to be welcomed by aircraft manufacturers. At present, they face processes that can take years or even decades to bring new aircraft types to market, easily costing billions of dollars.The post The FAA plans to streamline the certification process for new aircraft appeared first on AeroTime.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States has proposed a revamp of the certification process for…
The post The FAA plans to streamline the certification process for new aircraft appeared first on AeroTime.
