Brussels, 22/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - Despite the ongoing ruckus between Boeing and Airbus (see EUROPE 19185), representatives of the US and European aerospace and defence sector take the same views over technical issues such as air traffic control and the risk caused by volcanic ash. During a meeting on Tuesday 20 July, on the sidelines of the Farnborough Air Show, the representatives of the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) and the American Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) supported continued research with a view to developing uniform international standards for air operations close to clouds of volcanic ash. They nonetheless recommended that all companies avoid this kind of operation until the system for ash detection on board aircraft comes into generalised use. It is, however, impossible, according to the industry, to indicate the date when such systems will be brought in, as they are still at the testing stage. Also, the aircraft associations backed work aimed at harmonising air traffic management (ATM) systems between the two sides of the Atlantic, in order to make the two technological programmes for modernising the two systems interoperable “as soon as possible”. The two systems in question are the European SESAR and the American NextGen. Modernisation of the American system for control of defence exports, which is currently underway, the attenuation of the impact of air travel on the environment, and the strengthening of transparency for commercial practices in the sector were also discussed. (A.By./transl.jl)