EASA Changes The Game

More than 60,000 European pilots were trained by U.S. flight training facilities in the past four years. But the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the aviation rulemaking body of the European Union, has proposed pilot certification requirements that would change a decades-old agreement between most European States and the U.S. whereby European States recognize pilot certificates earned in the U.S. If the agency's proposal is successful, U.S.-trained pilots may be required to recertify in Europe.

These proposed changes to pilot certification requirements in Europe would have a clearly negative economic impact for the dozens of U.S. flight training facilities that provide flight training to European pilots. NATA is also concerned with the possible negative impact on aviation safety, as these pilots would be forced to seek certification and recurrent training elsewhere.

EASA has proposed an implementation date of April 8, 2012. A bilateral agreement between the Federal Aviation Administration and EASA could address these concerns, but there is no guarantee an agreement will be made prior to the 2012 deadline. NATA will provide its members with updates on this issue as information becomes available.