GAMA Statement on Aircraft Safety and Certification Bill

A U.S. Senate and House compromise aircraft safety and certification bill was part of the omnibus federal government funding bill passed by Congress. The Aircraft Certification, Safety and Accountability Act addresses issues uncovered in the Boeing 737 MAX investigations and reports. General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) president and CEO, Pete Bunce, issued the following statement regarding the bill:

“In the aftermath of the Boeing 737 MAX accidents, GAMA engaged with aviation stakeholders to examine the issues raised by these accidents and find solutions to improve the safety and strength of the aviation system. Many of the provisions included in the Aircraft Certification, Safety and Accountability Act, bolster efforts long championed by GAMA. For the last several years, we have been working with the FAA and the international aviation community to implement safety management systems for manufacturers, which we were pleased to see included in the bill.

“The compromise bill also addresses other important issues identified by Congress and various technical and expert groups that have reviewed the MAX and related processes and are generally consistent with GAMA’s certification and safety priorities. These include increasing resources for the FAA safety workforce and oversight activities, improving safety decision-making for new technologies, and facilitating the FAA’s international engagement in safety harmonization and improvements. We appreciate that Congress, particularly the leadership of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, sought our input on these and other safety improvements and worked with us to address other challenges in an effective manner. GAMA will continue its ongoing work with the FAA and other aviation regulators to ensure this legislation improves the safety and resiliency of the aviation system through successful implementation of safety management systems, needed investments and changes in safety oversight, and strong international engagement on key safety training and harmonization efforts.”