European regulators have taken a step toward allowing commercial air transport operations in single-engine turbines, which have long since been approved elsewhere.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association welcomed a European Aviation Safety Agency opinion that opens the door to changing current regulations in 2016. The International Civil Aviation Organization set standards for single-engine commercial airplane operations in 2005, and single-engine airplanes are in widespread use for passenger, cargo, and medical transport operations in the United States, Canada, and other jurisdictions.
“Today’s action by EASA is an important milestone in providing the full safety and economic utility of single-engine operations in Europe,” said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce in a news release Nov. 12. “The staff and leadership of EASA is to be commended for having undertaken a detailed and systematic review of the commercial regulations to create a set of regulatory requirements that should expand the utility of general aviation across the European continent.”
