Brussels, 29/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - It should be possible to grant third-country airlines access to European skies in a single process. A new European regulation was adopted by the European Commission on Tuesday 29 April, to put an end to the number of applications for flight authorisations which must be made by third-country carriers to each member state.
This regulation (PART Third Country Operators) aims to cut red tape and simplify safety authorisation procedures, according to European Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas, “while at the same time ensuring that they fully comply with all the necessary international safety requirements”. The European Aviation Safety Agency will be responsible for handling all authorisation procedures, a single authorisation will be valid for the whole of the EU and will be a pre-condition for licences to operate in the member states. (MD)