Safety and Certification

AIA Position StatementLook Toward the Future

The harmonization of safety standards and certification will continue to be of utmost importance as new, innovative technologies are developed. The certification of these technologies by regulators will benefit from technical input from industry will make the future of aviation and aerospace activities safer than ever while not impeding progress to new frontiers of flight. A clear and consistent path to certification opens the door to incredible new opportunities and ventures in the aviation industry while maintaining the safety culture that has made it so successful. AIA identifies emerging rulemaking and policy needs, and directly engages with policymakers and key staff to ensure support for R&D priorities in emerging technology related to certification.

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In the effort to improve the safety and certification of aviation technology, industry needs to collaborate with regulators and ensure they have the tools and information they need to make informed policy. Additionally, current certification programs and pathways that have been proven to work need to be protected so that there are clear, consistent standards for new entrants in the industry to follow. Such pathways are vital to ensuring that the current system is not disrupted without providing tangible safety improvements. Industry must continue to share their technical expertise with policymakers so that safety and innovation can progress in tandem with each other.

AIA’s Role

AIA strives to harmonize the certification of new aviation technologies and aircraft in cooperation with regulatory authorities across international agencies to ensure the continuation of aviation’s gold-standard safety culture in an age of rapid innovation. We advocate for – and protect – programs that are safe, efficient, and effective to advance the FAA as the premier regulatory agency with the proper resources to defend Type Certificates during Type Validation activities. Our work to improve certification by capitalizing on improvements made by the Aircraft Certification, Safety and Accountability Act (ACSAA) and collaboration with the FAA minimizes disruption while improving safety. We are working to ensure that both our members and regulatory authorities have what they need to bring new and current technologies to market safely. This mission has always been paramount to all operations of the aerospace and defense industry, and as we look to the future, AIA’s Safety and Certification subcommittee will continue to engage directly with key policymakers to make the process of certification more efficient while improving safety.