European aviation is facing several challenges, from the traffic growth to the increasing number of actors (manned aviation as well as drones) and finally challenges related to the geopolitical developments. What are the measures implemented by EASA to ensure safety and security in support to the aviation sector?

Aviation safety is EASA’s top priority. This means we are constantly vigilant with respect to all safety threats and constantly learning from those incidents and accidents that do occur. This work is performed in close collaboration with the Member States National Authorities.

When it comes to Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Innovative Air Mobility (IAM), we strive to be pre-emptive. The U-space regulatory framework established in Europe aims at enabling safe cohabitation of manned aircraft and unmanned UAS. We have set up several workstreams to support the implementation of the UAS regulation and the Agency has as well developed and disseminated guidelines to airport operators, ANSPs and National Authorities to manage drone incidents at aerodromes.

When it comes to the latest geopolitical developments, the side-effects of these for civil aviation are airspace limitations and the interference with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) that is now a frequent occurrence, particularly in the eastern part of Europe. In addition to the publication of Conflict Zone Information Bulletins to inform on potential threats to operations from armed conflict, EASA also runs an information-sharing platform. Safety Information Bulletins allow us to quickly inform aviation actors on any emerging safety threats.

In short, we need to remain agile on all fronts and ensure also that the aviation community does not become complacent.

EASA has been entrusted over the years with tasks in the field of technology, environmental initiatives and drones. Several initiatives have been put in place by European Member States and ANSPs, the ENAV Group is one of them, to deliver the Single European Sky. What is your view on what has been achieved so far and which areas need further work?

The Member States have indeed stepped up to implement the regulations and I believe that today we have more harmonised air traffic operations through the Single European Sky. We also have a very comprehensive regulatory framework for UAS, which enable all the UAS operations of today.

But there is still room for improvement. We need a more standardised approach to implementing the technical solutions that will enable a true, interoperable, efficient SES. We need as well as a much faster deployment of innovation and new technical enablers. In the area of UAS, while the regulation is very advanced, the implementation is quite immature (e.g. there are not many UAS BVLOS operations and only a few U-space airspaces being implemented). More emphasis should be put on the implementation of the existing regulatory package by all stakeholders.

Finally, we also need a competitive EU industry if we want to make this European story a success.

Drones, UAM and AAM are topics that are high in the agenda of EASA. What can we expect for the coming years from the work of EASA?

In the area of U-space, the Agency will focus on complementing and clarifying its guidance material on the basis of learnings from the initial phase of the implementation and the first certifications of U-space Service Providers (USSPs) and Single Common Information Service Providers (CIS).

In the UAS domain, EASA plans to launch initiatives to make it simpler to obtain authorisation of UAS operations with an inherent low risk, such as for agriculture, line inspections etc. Through the IAM Hub, EASA intends to provide a digital process for such authorisations and the underlying assessment of the risk, so as to reduce the time to market for operators and the workload for the aviation authorities.

With respect to VTOL-capable aircraft, EASA will collect feedback from the initial implementation of the already existing regulatory framework and explore possible evolutions to accommodate new emerging business models.

What are your strategic priorities for the coming 5 years?

EASA’s work is organised around five strategic themes: SAFE, GLOBAL, GREEN, INNOVATIVE and RESILIENT. I already mentioned in the opening that safety is paramount for us, and for the industry as a whole. But the other themes summarise our further activities.

GLOBAL describes our activities on the world stage, working with other leading authorities, with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and with EUROCONTROL. In addition we are active with projects in many parts of the globe.

SUSTAINABILITY is important we know that it is essential for the future success of the industry that we become GREENer. We are ourselves innovating in the way we work with industry to ensure that we can accompany innovation well – for example by setting up early partnerships or pre-application contracts.

And finally, RESILIENT is mostly about EASA itself. We need to match our ambitions to our available resources, our skills and competencies, and prioritise carefully, so that we can deliver the best possible service for European citizens.