Australia, US Sign Aviation Agreement

Australia, US sign aviation agreement

CANBERRA, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) — Australia and the United States have signed an agreement which will make it easier for Australian aviation manufacturers to export products to the United States, Australian Transport Minister Warren Truss announced Monday.

The agreement was signed by Truss and the US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Regional Director for the Asia and Pacific Region Nancy Graham, during their attendance of the 42nd Directors General of Civil Aviation Conference for the Asia and Pacific Regions, at Gold Coast of Australia’s state of Queensland.

Truss said the agreement, the Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness (IPA), was negotiated through the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA), which is designed to provide more effective and efficient safety regulations in civil aviation.

“This set of procedures will benefit and promote Australia’s aviation exports to the US, and ensure that our manufacturers’ products when certified and approved by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) will be recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration,” Truss said in a statement.

The agreement represents a significant step in streamlining the safety processes necessary to ensure the high level of aviation standards shared by Australia and the United States, he said, adding it will also significantly strengthen the relationship between CASA and the FAA.

The Executive Agreement and IPA are expected to come into effect next year, after they pass through the Australian and US treaty ratification processes, according to the statement.

The 42nd Directors General of Civil Aviation Conference for the Asia and Pacific Region opened Monday and will last until Friday.

A wide range of aviation policy issues including safety regulation in the Asia-Pacific Region will be discussed at the conference.