ASD advocates for certification harmonisation at EASA Airworthiness meeting

Last week, Stuart Anderson, ASD’s Senior Airworthiness Manager, represented ASD at the annual Airworthiness Authorities Certification Management Team (CMT)–Industry engagement day at the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) headquarters in Cologne.

In partnership with representatives from other major aerospace associations, including the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC), the Aerospace Industries Association of Brazil (AIAB), and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), ASD engaged with Certification Directors from the Certification Management Team, including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC), and Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), to advance regulatory harmonisation and simplify the cross-validation of product type certificates.

The discussion highlighted critical areas for improvement, particularly around the harmonisation of certification standards for emerging technologies. Just before the industry meeting, the authorities signed a newly published CMT Collaboration Strategy for 2025-2030, a roadmap that reflects significant industry requests from recent years. The strategy outlines strategic objectives, including:

• Enhancing validation efficiency among CMT authorities while maintaining rigorous safety standards.
• Increasing recognition by Validating Authorities of operational evaluations conducted by the Certifying Authority.
• Enabling transferability of certifications for products utilizing new technologies, even ahead of regulatory harmonization.
• Coordinating rulemaking efforts to promote alignment of new and updated standards and policies.

This updated CMT strategy represents a positive step forward for industry stakeholders, reinforcing global collaboration in airworthiness certification and supporting a more streamlined pathway for innovative aerospace products to reach global markets.