Updated regularly, our Regulatory Updates page will keep you up-to-date with recent and proposed changes to EU Regulations and EASA Agency Measures relating to air operations and airworthiness. In addition, we also review and highlight information published by the UK CAA where relevant.
Material is reviewed and articles added as soon as practicable after publication by EASA, the European Commission, or the UK CAA, as applicable.
Previous updates
If you would like to see any previous regulatory update documents, please click on the relevant edition below:
Update 16 - November 2023 | Update 15 - July 2023 | Update 14 - April 2023 | Update 13 - January 2023 | Update 12 - December 2022 | Update 11 - October 2022 | Update 10 - July 2022 | Update 9 - May 2022
Our most recent update
Below, you will find the most recent regulatory update. Click on each header to expand each section.
Updated 15th February 2024
6th November 2023
EASA updates SIB on GNSS Outage and Alterations
EASA updates SIB on GNSS Outage and Alterations | EASA (europa.eu)
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has updated the Safety Information Bulletin (SIB) on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Outage and Alterations Leading to Navigation / Surveillance Degradation. SIB 2022-02 was first published on March 17, 2022 and then updated to Revision 1 (R1) on February 17, 2023. Revision 2 has been published today, November 6, 2023 on the EASA SIB Tool. This follows EASA analysis of recent data from the Network of Analysts and open sources that has concluded that GNSS jamming and/or spoofing has shown further increase in the severity of its impact, as well as an overall growth of intensity and sophistication of these events.
This revision provides the following updated information:
· Examples of symptoms of suspected GNSS spoofing for aircraft <no change>.
· The list of the most affected flight information regions (FIR) <no change>.
· Examples of issues that a degradation of GNSS signal (including Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) and Ground Based Augmentation Systems (GBAS)) could generate with the addition of references to Terrain Avoidance and Warning Systems (TAWS).
· Revised recommendations for civil aviation authorities (CAAs), air traffic management/ air navigation services (ATM/ANS) providers and air operators (including helicopter operators – with specific information on both jamming and spoofing that flight crews and relevant flight operations personnel should be aware of). New for this revision are also recommendations for aircraft and equipment manufacturers.
9th November 2023
EASA launches new initiative to tackle impact of climate change on flight safety
EASA launches new initiative to tackle impact of climate change on flight safety | EASA (europa.eu)
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has kicked off a new initiative to better understand the effects of climate change on aviation, so as to equip the industry and aviation authorities to cope better with these changes and thus ensure aviation maintains its high level of safety.
The European Network on Impact of Climate Change on Aviation (EN-ICCA) is holding its kick-off meeting at the EASA headquarters in Cologne on November 9-10, 2023.
Scientific evidence shows that climate change increases the impact of severe and extreme weather phenomena, such as storms and hurricanes, drought, floodings and heatwaves, and that it may also increase frequency and severity of natural hazards that can pose a particular threat to aviation safety, such as turbulence, airborne icing and bird populations.
‘EASA is already undertaking a lot of work to reduce the aviation impact on climate and environment. This new initiative will assess the impact of climate change on air travel, as we are already observing a growing number of changes that affect flight operations,’ said EASA Executive Director Luc Tytgat. ‘We have created this group with new partners, from outside aviation, to deal with this emerging situation, so that the high level of safety in air travel is maintained for passengers despite these new threats.’
As an example of the potential impact on aviation safety, climate change is likely to increase the frequency and severity of clear-air turbulence in some regions where international air traffic is dense, such as the North Atlantic, South-East Asia and the North Pacific. Severe clear-air turbulence is already one of the main causes of passenger and cabin crew injuries worldwide.
Other research shows that climate change is predicted to increase the likelihood of encountering large hailstones, with a diameter of several centimetres. In the worst case, such hailstones could cause a multiple engine shutdown at low altitude, damage aircraft equipment in the aircraft’s radome or destroy the windshield.
New strategic objective for EASA
Managing the impact of climate change on aviation safety was a new strategic objective added to EASA’s European Plan for Aviation Safety (refer to EPAS 2023-2025, Volume I). While the EASA Scientific Committee is already compiling scientific research on some weather hazard trends, tackling the safety challenges caused by climate change entails bringing aviation stakeholders into the conversation.
The main objectives of the EN-ICCA are to help aviation stakeholders to better understand the effects of climate change and to define actions to maintain safety and inform the scientific community of priority topics regarding impact of climate change on aviation. This new network will facilitate the exchange of information between all stakeholders and coordination between research projects on climate change, thereby helping EASA and other authorities to manage the effect of climate change on aviation.
The expected outcome is an assessment of the state of relevant scientific knowledge on weather hazard trends and recommendations to help close any knowledge gap. The EN-ICCA will also review the climate change adaptation measures that aviation stakeholders already have in place, to assess their effectiveness and determine what further action can be taken.
16th November 2023
EASA hosts inaugural meeting of Member State Network on aviation decarbonisation
EASA hosts inaugural meeting of Member State Network on aviation decarbonisation | EASA (europa.eu)
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) hosted the inaugural meeting of the ReFuelEU Aviation Member States Network on November 16.
The Network will serve as a forum for exchange on implementation experiences, challenges, and promotion of best practices in the path of making aviation more environmentally friendly. It will focus on the technical implementation of ReFuelEU Aviation in the areas of reporting obligation cycles of aircraft operators, aviation fuel suppliers and EU airport managing bodies.
This Network will co-exist with the European Commission informal Expert Group looking into the functioning and development of the internal market in sustainable aviation. That group also focuses on interpretation and application of EU legislation in this domain, as well as applicable policies and future policy developments.
“EASA is committed to ensuring that Member States have what they need to effectively implement ReFuelEU Aviation, a milestone policy to decarbonise aviation” said EASA Acting Executive Director Luc Tytgat. “This Network will play a key role in preventing shortcomings and fostering good cooperation towards the common goal of responding to societal expectations by making aviation sustainable and providing more environmentally friendly flights to passengers.”
The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation was adopted in October 2023. It will contribute to ensuring an increasing supply and uptake of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), reducing the environmental impact of aviation. EASA stands ready to play a key role in this, in particular by reporting by airlines and cargo operators, EU airports and fuel suppliers with the targets set for SAF usage. EASA is also working together with the European Commission to develop an environmental labelling scheme for aviation.
The members of this Network are the EU Member States, European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) and EASA. The Network is facilitated and managed by EASA also on behalf of DG MOVE.
24th November 2023
Training for Success - Leading the way with CBTA
Training for Success - Leading the way with CBTA | EASA (europa.eu)
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and EUROCONTROL organised a 2-day Workshop on 20-21 November 2023 at the EUROCONTROL Aviation Learning Centre in Luxembourg about the introduction of competency-based training and assessment (CBTA) in air traffic controller (ATCO) training.
CBTA is the preferred International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) method for designing and implementing training and assessment programmes for aviation personnel, and is considered the most effective approach to enhancing performance and enabling reliable mutual recognition of licences. On the regulatory front, Europe is leading the way with the introduction of CBTA into ATCO training.
122 aviation experts representing 65 organisations from 32 countries had the opportunity to:
· learn from those who have already implemented CBTA
· find out how other aviation professionals are approaching CBTA
· get informed about the EASA regulatory proposal; and
· shine the light on the challenges of implementing CBTA.
The Workshop concluded that the air traffic management (ATM) training community will support the regulatory initiative with collaborative actions and is confident of the benefits of harmonised CBTA implementation. The main beneficiaries of CBTA are ATCO students. Additionally, operational units are likely to achieve improved pass rates and performance levels in support of the delivery of the required level of airspace capacity. The community also agreed on the benefits of voluntary collaborative data sharing and analysis to be brought forward via the D4S initiative.
EASA and EUROCONTROL are pleased to accompany the stakeholder initiatives identified during the Workshop’s facilitated sessions regarding the implementation of the CBTA methodology and the need for tools and support.
EASA, together with EUROCONTROL, will follow up on the agreed actions and integrate the outcomes into its upcoming Opinion addressed to the European Commission for regulatory actions.
5th December 2023
EASA endorses its first Gender Equality Plan
EASA endorses its first Gender Equality Plan | EASA (europa.eu)
In a move aimed at fostering workplace inclusion, Luc Tytgat, Acting Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), has officially endorsed the Agency’s new Gender Equality Plan.
This initiative reaffirms EASA’s commitment to equality and sets the stage for cultivating a diverse and supportive work environment. Key highlights of the plan include its strategic foundation, the promotion of managerial toolkits and training programmes, and its alignment with the core values of the EU institutions and other European equal opportunity initiatives.
EASA has opted for an incremental approach, with plans to expand the scope beyond gender-related issues in the future, to address a comprehensive range of diversity and inclusion initiatives.
In a commitment to transparency, EASA will provide regular reports on the progress of the Gender Equality Plan and future expansion efforts. These reports will be made accessible to the public, fostering an environment of accountability and shared learning.
11th December 2023
EASA launches first version of digital information platform on drones and air taxis
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has launched a digital space for the exchange of information on air taxis and drones. This will create transparency and thus reassure citizens that their concerns about the introduction of these services in Europe’s cities are being fully addressed.
“Today’s launch is the first step in connecting the many new aviation partners who have a stake in Innovative Air Mobility,” said EASA Acting Executive Director Luc Tytgat. “We want to demonstrate to citizens that Europe and EASA are putting everything in place to ensure a safe and sustainable introduction of these new aircraft. They will be able to find out how these services will work and gain reassurance on matters such as noise level and safety.”
The first version of the Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) Hub enables cities, regions, national authorities, operators, and manufacturers who have a role in the introduction of these air taxi and drone services to connect. They can then share and obtain reliable information and data.
This will be published on the EASA website in a new domain area “Drones and Air Mobility”. This domain also contains comprehensive information on how these services will work.
The project is funded by the European Commission and the European Parliament. It is Flagship Action Number 7 of the European Commission Drone Strategy 2.0. to enable a smart and sustainable EU drones market.
12th December 2023
EASA consolidates its leading role in setting standards and limits for air taxi noise
Air taxi noise must respect defined standards and limits to ensure that disturbance to the public is minimised, and to foster citizens’ acceptance of air taxi operations in or near populated areas, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said.
The Agency confirmed its leading role in setting noise standards for Urban Air Mobility services with two further publications setting limits on noise emitted by different designs of air taxis.
“EASA conducted a large-scale study in 2021, in which noise was clearly highlighted as one of the top societal concerns for this new mode of urban transport in the European Union,” said EASA Acting Executive Director Luc Tytgat. “The Agency takes these concerns seriously. The standards we are setting reflect the public’s desire for minimising noise disturbance from Urban Air Mobility.”
EASA published two sets of Environmental Protection Technical Specifications (EPTS) for aircraft capable of Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL), the technical description of the aircraft that will provide air taxi services and other similar services. The aim is to reach a high, uniform level of environmental protection and to prevent significant harmful effects of noise on human health in the European Union, as mandated by the EASA Basic Regulation.
Both documents build on existing international noise standards for conventional aircraft, adjusted to accommodate the characteristics of VTOL-capable (VCA) aircraft. In addition to measuring noise at approach, take-off and overflight (ATOO), they also contain a hover noise assessment to help evaluate the noise impact of operations close to vertiports, the ground facilities from which such aircraft will operate.
The first EPTS document is the final version of the text applicable to VCA powered by non-tilting rotors. It expands on the public consultation phase, and takes account of around 200 comments from VCA manufacturers, academia, and national aviation authorities, making technical changes to bring simplification and clarity. A typical design falling under this scope would be the VC2-1 “VoloCity” from Volocopter.
The second EPTS document applies to VCA powered by tilting rotors and is published for consultation. Although similar in content, the standards in this document were based on the legacy international noise standards for tilt rotors. The Lilium Jet model would fall under the applicability of this EPTS document.
The maximum allowable noise levels in ATOO phases are identical in both EPTS to ensure a level playing field among VCA designs.
The document is open to public consultation until February 13, 2024. Comments can be submitted through the Comment Response Tool (CRT).
13th December 2023
Piotr Samson re-elected as Chair of EASA Management Board
Piotr Samson re-elected as Chair of EASA Management Board | EASA (europa.eu)
Piotr Samson, President of the Civil Aviation Agency of Poland, has been re-elected as Chair of the Management Board of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Samson, who has headed the Polish CAA since 2016, was first elected as Chair of the Board in 2019. As a result of today’s vote, he has been accorded a further four-year mandate.
The Chair is elected by the Management Board members from among their members.
“I am very honoured to be offered this extension of my appointment as Chair of the EASA Management Board,” Samson said. “I thank my colleagues on the Board for the trust placed in me. I firmly believe that, working together with the new Executive Director of EASA, Florian Guillermet, who I have known for many years, we will be successful in further strengthening EASA in Europe and internationally and overcoming all challenges we may face.”
18th September 2023
EASA publishes study assessing environmental sustainability of the End-of-Life stage of an aircraft
The report ‘Assessment of the environmental sustainability status in the Aviation Maintenance and Production Organisation (M&P) Domain’ presents the outcome of the research study commissioned by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, in a field which has not yet been studied in depth — the End-of-Life (EoL) phase of an aircraft.
While emissions generated by fuel burn cause by far the largest impact to environmental sustainability during an aircraft’s life, its design, maintenance, production and End-of-Life (EoL) also have an important role to play in the sustainability. The study focusses on those lifecycle phases that fall under EoL: Decommissioning, Disassembly, Dismantling, Recycling, Landfill.
The study is divided in 3 parts:
· Part 1 provides an overview of the global and EU-specific, as well as aviation-specific and non-aviation specific sustainability standards and regulations. It highlights some best practices, studies and other initiatives piloted by industry.
· Part 2 describes the role sustainability considerations play or could play within the different areas, units, and processes of the aircraft lifecycle. This covers general considerations (e.g. in organisational management, planning/reporting, cooperation amongst organisations and legal aspects), as well as elements within the aerospace industry (maintenance, production, decommissioning/disassembling) and within the waste business (dismantling, energy recovery and landfill activities).
· Finally, part 3 lists and weights several recommendations affecting a wide range of stakeholders and phases within the aircraft lifecycle.
13th December 2023
EASA Management Board selects Florian Guillermet as future EASA Executive Director
Florian Guillermet has been selected as the future Executive Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, following a decision by the Agency’s Management Board.
“I am pleased to announce that we have selected Florian Guillermet as the Executive Director of EASA,” said Piotr Samson, Chair of the EASA Management Board and President of Civil Aviation at the Polish Civil Aviation Authority. “I have known Florian for many years and deeply respect his operational knowledge of aviation as well as his high-level strategic thinking. I am sure that, under his leadership, EASA and the European aviation community will grow and prosper even further.”
Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission, said. "Ensuring the highest levels of safety in the sky will always be our top priority, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency continues to lead efforts to keep passengers safe. I am very pleased with the selection of Florian as the future Executive Director of EASA. Based on his impressive track record, I can be very confident that the future of aviation safety in Europe and beyond is in capable hands. I look forward to our continued cooperation!”
Guillermet is currently the Director at DSNA, the Air Navigation Services Provider designated by the French State. He has over 26 years of aviation experience, with a particular emphasis on Air Navigation and Air Traffic Management.
19th December 2023
EASA issues Safety Information Bulletin on volcanic ash events
EASA issues Safety Information Bulletin on volcanic ash events | EASA (europa.eu)
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued Safety Information Bulletin SIB 2023-13 “Flight in Airspace with Contamination of Volcanic Ash”. The SIB advises aviation actors on steps to be taken and risk assessments to be made in response to a volcanic eruption.
The content of this SIB is based on the progress that has been made following previous events concerning the impact of volcanic ash activity on aviation and the subsequent discussions with aviation stakeholders. Its purpose is to raise awareness on the impact on aviation and to formulate recommendations for affected parties.
7th January 2024
EASA adopts FAA Emergency AD on Boeing 737-9 - no EU operators seen affected
EASA adopts FAA Emergency AD on Boeing 737-9 - no EU operators seen affected | EASA (europa.eu)
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has adopted an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a specific configuration of the Boeing 737-9 (MAX). The EAD, which grounds aircraft in this specific configuration until an inspection has been completed, follows an event on an Alaska Airlines flight, where an exit panel detached from the aircraft inflight, leading to rapid decompression of the cabin.
EASA took the decision to adopt the FAA EAD despite the fact that, to the Agency's knowledge and also on the basis of statements from the FAA and Boeing, no airline in an EASA Member State currently operates an aircraft in the relevant configuration. In the specific set-up covered by the EAD, a mid-cabin exit is replaced by a plug-in panel. This configuration is typically adopted by airlines flying lower-density operations (with lower passenger capacity) where this additional exit is not required to meet evacuation safety requirements.
The 737-9 aircraft operating in Europe do not have this configuration and are therefore not grounded by the EAD and can continue to operate normally.
EASA is in contact with the FAA on this matter and will follow the investigation into the Alaska Airlines event closely.
11th January 2024
EU – Japan Aviation Partnership Project
The EU-Japan Aviation Partnership Project (APP) has started on 20 June 2023 following the signature of the Letter of Intent (LoI) between EASA and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB). The project forms part of an EU-funded programme, running until 31 March 2024, which aims at enhancing the partnership between the EU and North Asian countries in the domain of civil aviation.
Managed by EASA together with JCAB, the project will work in close cooperation with European industry, EU level organisations and EU National Aviation Authorities to exchange aviation expertise and to update on the latest aviation trends and technologies.
The Cooperation will comprise various domains of aviation safety with the following main objectives:
· strengthen institutional relations, deepen dialogue and cooperation between aviation authorities, encourage regional cooperation and support implementation of aviation agreements;
· increase mutual awareness of aviation safety best practices, promote EU standards, raise environmental protection efforts and encourage climate actions; and
· facilitate access for EU industry to a growing market.
Context
The FPI (the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments) has tasked EASA through a new Contribution Agreement to set up aviation partnership projects to strengthen cooperation with North Asian partner countries. The overall programme budget is €7,000,000.
Japan has an aviation industry of similar proportional size to its economy like Europe and a mature stage of development, which presents a good base for expanding cooperation initiatives between European and Japanese authorities as well as industry partners.
16th January 2024
EASA proposes first EU wide regulation on ground handling
EASA proposes first EU-wide regulation on ground handling | EASA (europa.eu)
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency published the first-ever proposal to regulate ground handling across European Union airports, to increase the safety, cybersecurity and consistency of all the actions that happen on the ground before and after a flight, delivering benefits to passengers and their airlines.
This Opinion, for the first time, proposes a regulation that will affect approximately 300 000 workers in the ground handling industry, one of the largest groups of aviation employees. The regulation will also ensure that ground handling is covered by Regulation (EU) 2022/1645 on cybersecurity.
Ground handling encompasses any activity that occurs on the ground to prepare an aircraft and its passengers for departure or arrival. This includes:
· aircraft loading and unloading with cargo, mail and baggage;
· passenger boarding and disembarkation;
· de-icing and anti-icing;
· refuelling; and
· securing the aircraft on the ground during turnaround, pushback and towing.
Until now, this major area of aviation has been largely self-regulated. In most cases, operational arrangements, including those impacting safety, are captured only in bilateral service agreements between ground handling service providers and the aircraft operators to whom they provide services.
“Aviation safety starts on the ground. This entirely new proposal fills an important gap in the overall regulation of aviation operations in the European Union, which means that we will now have an end-to-end approach to ensuring aviation safety and cybersecurity,” said EASA Acting Executive Director Luc Tytgat. “For passengers and their airlines this will provide increased certainty that ground handling operations are being carried out safely and consistently in all major airports across the EASA Member States.”
The Opinion proposes an efficient approach on the oversight of ground handling organisations by competent authorities. This is expected to avoid multiple verifications of the same activities and organisational aspects and gradually reduce the significant number of audits performed mostly by aircraft operators. This way, organisations should be able to better allocate their resources from auditing to managing the safety of their operations. As now, aircraft operators will retain overall responsibility for aircraft safety and flight safety.
“Today, a large ground handling organisation operating at 100 stations may be subject to over 600 audits from external stakeholders in a year, entailing almost 5 000 hours of work,” Tytgat said. “In future, air operators will be able to rely on the results of oversight performed only once by the competent authority and reduce their own audits only to the necessary additional aspects. This will reduce costs and free up resources to focus on more critical operations.”
Ground handling processes grew organically as commercial aviation grew, without a central regulation. While ground handling plays a huge role in ensuring the safety of flights, it can also create safety issues. Most of the vehicles that move around on the airport apron, for example, are also part of the ground handling function – moving passengers or baggage, placing stairs next to aircraft, or helping the aircraft itself to leave the parking stand.
The new ground handling Regulation would require ground handling organisations and self-handling aircraft operators performing commercial air transport operations with aeroplanes to self-declare that they comply with the EU requirements. This can be either by applying operational procedures developed by themselves or industry standards and good practices developed and continually improved by industry during the past decades. Organisations will need to prove that they have a management system in place, proportionately aligned to the complexity of their operations. This includes a safety management system, training for staff, a maintenance programme for ground support equipment and defined operational procedures together with a robust safety culture, where any safety issues are reported without penalty to the reporter, swiftly addressed, and used as a lesson to further improve safety in the provision of services.
The ground handling Regulation is expected to be published in late 2024 or early 2025. The Opinion proposes a transition period of three years for implementation after the publication of the Regulation.
23rd January 2024
EASA published 2024 edition of EPAS
EASA published 2024 edition of European Plan for Aviation Safety | EASA (europa.eu)
The European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS) is a pivotal component of the European Commission’s strategic vision for aviation safety. It outlines the strategic priorities for aviation safety and environmental protection, the primary safety risks and other issues affecting the European aviation safety system, as well as the necessary measures to mitigate those. Designed as the Regional Aviation Safety Plan for EASA Member States, the EPAS reinforces safety management at regional, State and industry levels.
Following the adoption of a new reference period and a three-year revision cycle for EPAS Volume I ‘Strategic Priorities’ (2023 – 2025), the 2024 EPAS edition is composed of updates of Volumes II ‘Actions’ and III ‘Safety Risk Portfolios’.
The release of the 2024 edition underscores EASA's unwavering commitment to advancing aviation safety in Europe.
25th January 2024
EASA to inform air passengers on the environmental impact of their flight
EASA to inform air passengers on the environmental impact of their flight | EASA (europa.eu)
As of 2025, when booking flights online, passengers will be able to see standardised information on the “carbon footprint” and “carbon efficiency” of flights in the European Union, along with an explanation of the result. This will be achieved via the Environmental Labelling Scheme, an initiative led by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which aims to provide passengers with trustworthy and harmonised environmental information about their flights.
For airlines, the Environmental Labelling Scheme promotes a fair competition framework that recognises sustainability efforts, which will bring transparency and therefore competitiveness to the market.
“The labelling scheme will allow passengers to make sustainable choices when booking their flights, based on trusted information coming from an expert, but neutral, agency,” said Maria Rueda, Director of Strategy and Safety Management at EASA. “It will make progress towards decarbonisation of aviation visible and allow passengers to be part of the solution – by ensuring they can be actively aware of the impact of their travel choices.”
To calculate the carbon footprint and carbon efficiency, EASA will look at actual historical data provided by airlines and project the carbon footprint per passenger and carbon efficiency for future flights. Using real operational data guarantees greater accuracy and reliability for the calculation.
Taking part in the Environmental Labelling Scheme will be voluntary for airlines. Airlines that choose to opt in will be required to submit flight data for all flights that fall under the scope of the initiative to EASA. They cannot choose to submit data only for certain routes. A further requirement for those who have opted in is that they need to display the result in their booking systems and so ensure that this information reaches the passengers. EASA is launching an early adopters’ plan for interested airlines, to provide guidance and allow them to make an initial assessment.
The preparatory phase of the Implementing Regulation on the Environmental Labelling Scheme will take place during 2024. On January 22 and 23, the Agency hosted the first workshop to promote the initiative and bring aviation and travel stakeholders on board. This workshop was co-organised with the European Commission – DG Move and welcomed about 70 representatives from airlines, airline associations and online travel agents, following an open call for registrations. A follow-up session of this workshop will take place on April 9, 2024, in Brussels.
15th November 2023
NPA 2023-09 – Implementation of the latest amendments to ICAO Annex 16 Volumes I, II and III
This Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) proposes to update the applicable environmental protection requirements for the certification of products in Regulations (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) No 748/2012, and the associated acceptable means of compliance (AMC) and guidance material (GM).
Article 9(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2021/1087 sets out the essential requirements for environmental protection that refer to the requirements contained in Volumes I, II and III of Annex 16 ‘Environmental Protection’ to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
On 20 March 2023, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council adopted new amendments to these volumes for the continuous improvement of the environmental protection standards and recommended practices (SARPs).
The proposed regulatory material transposes these new amendments into Article 9(2) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139. The proposed updates to Annex I (Part 21) to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 ensure the implementation of these amendments for the certification of products and clarify the applicable procedures for the environmental compatibility of the products.
The proposed regulatory material is expected to provide a level playing field for all stakeholders in the aviation market.
The objective is to ensure a high uniform level of environmental protection and to contribute to European policies on climate change, air quality and noise reduction.
NPA 2023-09 is divided in two parts. The present NPA 2023-09 (A) includes the background information pertaining to the regulatory proposal. NPA 2023-09 (B) includes the proposed amendments.
7th December 2023
Easy Access Rules for Large Rotorcraft (CS29)
This document contains the applicable rules on Large Rotorcraft. It includes the applicable certification specifications (CS), acceptable means of compliance (AMC) and guidance material (GM), displayed in a consolidated, easy-to-read format with advanced navigation features through links and bookmarks.
· The initial issue and the Amendments 1 to 11 are available in a pdf format.
· The latest revisions - Amendment 10 and 11 – are also available as a dynamic online publication as well as machine readable xml file.
The dynamic online publication offers filters for obtaining the regulatory material tailored to one’s needs, search functions for quickly accessing the relevant sections, and easy navigation for computers, tablets, and mobiles phones.
11th December 2023
EASA publishes updated Easy Access Rules for Normal-Category Aeroplanes (CS-23)
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published the updated Easy Access Rules for Normal-Category Aeroplanes (CS-23) — Revision from December 2023.
This publication incorporates ED Decision 2023/002/R with the objective to incorporate 6 new and 23 revised consensus standards that were issued by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International. Those standards can be used as acceptable means of compliance with CS-23.
14th December 2023
Easy Access Rules for Engines (CS-E) – Initial issue and amendments 1-5 – Amendment 5 available
This document contains the Easy Access Rules for Engines (EAR for CS-E). It includes the applicable certification specifications (CSs) and acceptable means of compliance (AMC), displayed in a consolidated, easy-to-read format with advanced navigation features through links and bookmarks.
18th December 2023
Special Condition for VTOL and Means of Compliance
Special Condition for VTOL and Means of Compliance | EASA (europa.eu)
This page has been updated on December 18, 2023, with the “Fourth Publication of Proposed Means of Compliance with the Special Condition VTOL”, Doc No. MOC-4 SC-VTOL, Issue 1, available under “Downloads”.
Only this document is subject to public consultation at this time. Neither the Special Condition, nor the first, second or third publications of Means of Compliance are reopened for consultation. These documents remain available under the Related Content section for reference.
Please provide comments by using the EASA Comment-Response Tool (CRT).
19th December 2023
Proposed Certification Memorandum CM-21.A-B-003 Function and Reliability Flight Testing for VTOL-capable aircraft
Official comments to the proposed Consultation Paper are to be filed through the EASA Comment Response Tool.
19th December 2023
Means of compliance (MoCs) for the design of UAS operated in SAIL III
Means of compliance (MoCs) for the design of UAS operated in SAIL III | EASA (europa.eu)
The Airworthiness task force (AW TF), established In November 2022 under the UAS Technical Body (TeB), is developing means of compliance (MoCs) aimed at supporting, for SAIL III operations, declarations of compliance to SORA OSOs linked with UAS design, therefore under the responsibility of the UAS designer. The MoCs provided in consultation address OSOs #5, #6, #18 and #24 as per AMC 1 to Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947. A further consultation will follow, focused in particular on MoCs to OSO#3 and OSO#19-20, completing the SAIL III compliance package.
Applicants who wish to propose the application of alternative standards to those referenced by the SAIL III MoCs should contact their Competent Authority. The proposal may need to be assessed by the AW TF and, if found appropriate, may be reflected in further revisions of the MoCs.
The declarations of compliance against the MoCs shall be provided with appropriate forms that will be made available at a later stage by EASA.
Official comments to the proposed Consultation Paper are to be filed through the EASA Comment Response Tool.
19th December 2023
EASA-FAA task force defines alternative approach for authorising aviation software/hardware
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have agreed on a set of criteria to allow the industry to accept alternate development assurance standards for software and airborne electronic hardware certification. This will open the door to innovation in aviation through the acceptance of design standards for software and hardware applied in other industries, such as the automotive sector.
The novelty is outlined in a published paper and is the outcome of a joint EASA/FAA Task Force established in June 2019. The aim of the Task Force was to identify ways to develop means to assess available standards or publicly available methodologies without compromising the high safety standard of aviation, through the definition of an “Abstraction Layer”.
“This is a significant change to the traditional aviation design world, as it gives far greater scope for the potential acceptance of certain software and airborne electronic hardware standards developed in other industries, such as automotive, without requiring a full demonstration of compliance with the very comprehensive aeronautical standards defined for aviation,” said EASA Certification Director Rachel Daeschler. “This will allow aviation to embrace emerging technologies and techniques.”
The level of safety of aviation products is currently established via the guidance in aviation Software and Airborne Electronic Hardware standards, respectively ED-12C/DO-178C and ED-80/DO-254, as well as aspects of ARP-4754A. The aviation-specific and comprehensive nature of the development assurance approach in this guidance may present a barrier to the adoption of new technologies.
“These criteria provide the framework to explore how best practices from other industries, such as automotive, could be applied in aviation,” FAA Executive Director of Aircraft Certification Service Lirio Liu said.
The objective of the Task Force was to develop the “Abstraction Layer” by extracting the key concepts from ED-12C/DO-178C, ED-80/DO-254, EASA & FAA A(M)C 20-115D, and EASA & FAA A(M)C 20-152A. It subsequently formulated a set of 20 criteria for the assessment of the candidate alternate standard.
The “Abstraction Layer” is not intended to serve as a new alternative standard. It does not intend to invalidate or put at risk the current development assurance practices.
Instead, it is intended to be a bridging tool – offering a set of criteria for assessing potential alternate standards or publicly available methodologies used in other industry domains. It will also facilitate the introduction of novel technologies by enabling the assessment of products using other development assurance standards.
19th December 2023
ED Decision 2023/022/R – DS for Part 21Light (DS-21LD) Issue 1
ED Decision 2023/022/R - DS for Part 21 Light (DS-21LD) — Issue 1 | EASA (europa.eu)
Detailed Technical Specifications and Guidance Material for declaration of design compliance in accordance with Part 21 Light, Section A, Subpart C (DS for Part 21 Light (DS-21LD) — Issue 1
This Decision provides the Detailed Technical Specifications to enable an aircraft manufacturer to declare compliance of their design in accordance with Annex Ib (Part 21 Light) to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012.
The objective is to maintain a high level of safety for less complex aircraft whilst also providing cost-efficient specifications in the field of initial airworthiness.
This ED Decision will facilitate the implementation of the new Annex (Part 21 Light) to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 that introduced the possibility for aircraft manufacturers to declare compliance of their design.
19th December 2023
ED Decision 2013/021/R CS25 Amendment 28
ED Decision 2023/021/R - CS-25 Amendment 28 | EASA (europa.eu)
The objective of this Decision is to reflect the state of the art of large aeroplane certification based on information gathered from in-service occurrences and certification projects.
This Decision amends the Certification Specifications and Acceptable Means of Compliance for Large Aeroplanes (CS-25) in order to:
· provide consolidated specifications, guidance and acceptable means of compliance related to survivability after ditching (i.e. emergency landing on water);
· improve the specifications, guidance and acceptable means of compliance applicable to installed systems and equipment for use by the flight crew;
· make various amendments dealing with the following topics: development assurance, performance and handling characteristics in icing conditions, brakes and braking systems certification tests and analysis, oxygen equipment and supply, the maximum period during which the air conditioning is off and cabin crew portable oxygen equipment;
· make editorial corrections.
Overall, the amendments are expected to increase safety, not to have any social or environmental impacts and to provide economic benefits by streamlining the certification process.
No new updates.
2nd November 2023
ED Decision 2023/019/R – Review of Part 66 I New Training Methods and New Teaching Technologies
· AMC & GM to the articles of Regulation (EU) No 1321-12014 — Issue 1, Amendment 3
· AMC & GM to Part-66 — Issue 2, Amendment 8
· AMC & GM to Part-147 — Issue 2, Amendment 3
· AMC & GM to Part-CAO — Issue 1, Amendment 4
Regulation (EU) 2023/989 amended Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 (‘Continuing Airworthiness (CAW) Regulation’) as regards the requirements on maintenance licences and training organisations set out in Annex III (Part-66) and Annex IV (Part-147) to the CAW Regulation, introducing, among others, new training methods and teaching technologies and other improvements as part of the regular update of Part-147. In particular, amendments were introduced in order to:
· facilitate the type rating endorsement of aircraft when there are no organisations approved in accordance with Part-147 offering type training on that aircraft, maintaining the same level of safety and a level playing field
· update the basic knowledge training syllabus in Part-66
· enhance the efficiency of the ‘on-the-job training’ (OJT) required for the first type rating endorsement in the maintenance licence category
· enhance the efficiency of the maintenance personnel training system with new training methods and new teaching technologies
· improve and correct the elements that emerged with the implementation of the CAW Regulation.
This Decision amends the Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) & Guidance Material (GM) to the CAW Regulation in order to support the implementation of the CAW Regulation.
4th December 2023
NPA 2023-10 – Review of Part 147
NPA 2023-10 - Review of Part-147 | EASA (europa.eu)
The objective of the proposal in this NPA is to eliminate or reduce fraud cases in examinations conducted by Part-147 maintenance training organisations (MTOs) for the obtention of aircraft maintenance licences. It also intends to ensure an adequate language proficiency for the trainer and students. Lastly, it aims at improving the structure and readability of Part-147 while ensuring a greater consistency with the other Annexes to Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, in particular in relation to the oversight principles.
To achieve these objectives, Part-147 is reviewed to a great extent, proposing a more robust organisation set-up, introducing measures and mechanisms for fraud prevention and requirements for the language proficiency, aligning competent authority requirements with those of Part-CAMO and Part-145, and addressing miscellaneous shortcomings in the approval of MTOs.
The proposed regulatory material is expected to increase the overall safety in the EU maintenance licensing system. The changes are expected to improve organisational processes and to ensure delivery of better-quality training activities.
NPA 2023-10 is divided in two parts. The present NPA 2023-10 (A) includes the background information pertaining to the regulatory proposal. NPA 2023-10 (B) includes the proposed amendments.
21st December 2023
CASA SUP - AWB 01-038 Issue 1 - Bell Helicopters 206, 214ST, and 505 - Main Rotor Blade Retaining Bolt Nut
Suspected Unapproved Parts Details
Product - Bell Helicopters 206, 214ST, and 505
Part name - Main Rotor Blade Retaining Bolt Nut
Part Number - 206-011-119-005; 2AA-011-119-005
On 27 November 2023, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) of Australia published an Airworthiness Bulletin (AWB 01-038 Issue 1) to advise operators and maintenance repair organisations of a suspected unapproved part that has been supplied to industry in lieu of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) PN 206-011-119-005 and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Parts Manufacturing Approval (PMA) PN 2AA-011-119-005 1, that could potentially compromise the structural integrity of the main rotor hub assembly.
19th December 2023
ED Decision 2023/023/R – Flight and Duty time limitations for CAT with aeroplanes – night duties and late finish duties
CS-FTL.1 — Issue 1, Amendment 1 | AMC/GM Part-ORO — Issue 2, Amendment 24
This Decision incorporates the scientific recommendations of the first study on ‘Effectiveness of Flight Time Limitation (FTL)’ in relation to night duties and late finish duties into the regulatory framework under Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 to mitigate the risk of the onset and accumulation of fatigue for aircrews.
The objective is to prevent the accumulation of abnormal amounts of fatigue for aircrews by considering the latest scientific knowledge and best practices available as regards fatigue risk management.
This is expected to improve safety.
No new updates.
No new updates.
No new updates.
No new updates.
16th January 2024
Opinion No 01/2024 - Ground Handling requirements
Opinion No 01/2024 - Ground handling requirements | EASA (europa.eu)
This Opinion proposes an EU regulation on ground handling (GH) and subsequent amendments to Regulations (EU) No 965/2012 on air operations, (EU) No 139/2014 on aerodromes, and (EU) 2022/1645 on information security. The purpose is to ensure a level playing field for organisations providing GH services in Europe, including when these are provided as self-handling by aircraft operators, and to establish a baseline for the safety of these services.
The Opinion includes a regulatory framework for a scalable management system proportional to the size and complexity of the operation, covering the management of safety, safety culture, training requirements for GH personnel, a maintenance programme for the ground support equipment used for the provision of GH services, and general operational requirements for the provision of GH services. EASA proposes a new approach for the acceptance of industry standards applied in the GH domain, acknowledging their continued use and enabling their implementation on a voluntary basis. Their importance for the harmonisation and standardisation of GH operational procedures is more relevant than in any other aviation domain due to the number of different industry standards and their coverage of the entire spectrum of GH operations. Provision of GH services will be based on a declaration regime, which enables a sign-and-start system that does not require any prior approval by competent authorities before starting operation.
This Opinion also includes oversight requirements for competent authorities, with a particular focus on cooperative oversight, which becomes a crucial element for an efficient oversight of pan-European organisations providing GH services.
Amendments to Regulations (EU) No 965/2012 and (EU) No 139/2014 are proposed to address mutual exchange of safety-relevant information among GH organisations, aircraft operators and aerodrome operators regarding GH operations, and to enable smooth integration of the new management system elements addressing GH. This Opinion also proposes to include the GH domain in the scope of Regulation (EU) 2022/1645 on security management.
The proposed new rules are expected to ensure a consistent feedback loop on safety reports from authorities to organisations, a better understanding of the safety risks, a better exchange of safety information between the stakeholders involved and an assessment of mitigation measures, with the ultimate effect of improving the overall flight safety.
No new updates.
9th November 2023
NPA 2023-08 – Regular update of the air traffic management/air navigation services rules
The provision of air traffic management/air navigation services (ATM/ANS) is subject to constant evolution generated by a variety of factors, such as the introduction of new technologies and operational concepts, the acquisition of experience from the implementation and oversight of the applicable rules or the evolution of the interdependent EU and/or International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulatory frameworks. It is therefore necessary to perform regular reviews and maintenance of the currently applicable regulatory material for the provision of ATM/ANS, as regulatory consistency is a key enabler to ensure a safe and efficient aviation system.
The general objective of the amendments proposed in this Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) is to ensure a high and uniform level of safety in ATM/ANS and other ATM network functions and to reflect the state of the art and best practices by proposing amendments based on the selection of non-complex, non-controversial or mature subjects originating from European Commission requests, ICAO developments, stakeholders and expert groups or individuals which EASA has assessed as suitable and beneficial.
It includes proposed updates to a variety of provisions in Regulation (EU) 2017/373 and associated AMC and GM, in particular concerning air traffic services (ATS) and aeronautical information services (AIS) requirements. Consequential amendments to Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 and Regulation (EU) No 139/2014 and related AMC and GM are also proposed for consistency reasons.
NPA 2023-08 is divided in four parts. The present NPA 2023-08 (A) includes the background information pertaining to the regulatory proposal.
22nd January 2024
'Europe for Aviation' team up with Airspace World 2024
“Europe for Aviation” team up for Airspace World 2024 | EASA (europa.eu)
The “Europe for Aviation” partners, consisting of nine European aviation organisations working to promote the modernisation, sustainability and resilience of a safe European aviation, will come together at Airspace World, from 19 to 21 March 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland.
During the 3-day global event, these organisations will showcase how they are jointly tackling the most pressing challenges of the European aviation industry.
The “Europe for Aviation” stand and theatre (#H22) will host a range of exhibits and demos illustrating collaboration in action between the European aviation organisations working to implement the Single European Sky:
· the European Commission,
· the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA),
· the European Defence Agency (EDA),
· EUROCONTROL,
· the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE),
· the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA),
· the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA),
· the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking (SESAR 3 JU), and
· the SESAR Deployment Manager (SESAR DM).
No new updates.
No New Updates.
