FAA, European Commission Reaffirm Commitment to Build Safer, More Sustainable Aviation System

Thursday, July 1, 2021

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) affirmed their commitment to increasing aviation safety and building a more sustainable industry during a virtual meeting today with senior officials from both continents.

“We’ve proven we can accomplish more, with better results, when we work together,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “President Biden made this clear on his trip to Europe earlier this month. He reaffirmed the primacy of the U.S.-European alliance. The bonds we have forged through NATO and countless other areas continue to serve the interests of both sides. And nowhere is that more true than our relationship in aviation safety and sustainability.”

“The EU-U.S. aviation partnership is a cornerstone of international aviation and has proven to be very beneficial for both sides over the years,” said Henrik Hololei, Director General of DG MOVE. “However, it is important to look ahead and continue to build on this strong, mutually beneficial, and future-oriented partnership. Today, we jointly confirmed our very close cooperation on aviation safety. Importantly, we also agreed that the reduction of emissions is the licence to grow for the aviation sector and shared our commitment for the decarbonization of air transport. Together, we will help the sector build back better.”

Officials discussed a wide range of initiatives during the U.S.-European Union (EU) Safe and Sustainable Aviation webinar. These included areas for further future safety cooperation, sustainable aviation fuels, more efficient operations, air traffic management modernization, quieter, more efficient aircraft and engine designs, and exploring breakthrough airframe and propulsion technologies that could accelerate the path to decarbonization.

The FAA and the European Commission are committed to their ongoing partnership under the U.S.-EU Safety Agreement as well as advancing a shared priority to address climate change through closer collaboration on sustainability efforts. The resulting high-level dialogue through this webinar will further strengthen the bilateral safety cooperation and foster collaboration to address aviation’s environmental impact. Safety and sustainability are the pillars that both the FAA and the EU proudly use to guide future cooperation. This allows the aviation sector to progress despite the challenges.

Speakers included Ali Bahrami, FAA Associate Administrator for Safety; Filip Cornelis, DG MOVE Director for Aviation; Henrik Hololei; Steve Dickson; Patrick Ky, Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA); and Carol A. (Annie) Petsonk, U.S. Department of Transportation, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation.

The webinar also included two panels. The first panel, titled “Key Areas of Current and Future Aviation Safety Cooperation,” focused on the current U.S.-EU Safety Agreement and new ways to achieve future cooperation. The second panel, titled “Sustainable Aviation: U.S. – EU Priorities and the Path to Greening Aviation,” addressed ways to make aviation greener. The Sustainability Panel was a continuation of the cooperative dialogue between the U.S. and EU on sustainability at the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Summit held on June 15 in Brussels.

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