The US House of Representatives has passed the Small Airplane Revitalisation Act that stands to cut certification costs and double safety levels.
The bipartisan bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement recommendations made by the Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) by December 2015. As the bill passed the Senate in May, it needs only the signature of President Barak Obama to become law.
“On an overwhelming and bipartisan basis, Congress has given important momentum to critical reforms that are needed at the FAA,” said Pete Bunce, President of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
“HR 1848 is an emphatic statement that overly prescriptive FAA regulations and inefficient bureaucratic processes that unnecessarily lengthen certification timelines and add significant costs must be replaced if we are to promote safety and growth in general aviation.
"While much work remains, especially on the part of FAA, passage of this legislation significantly improves the industry’s ability to accelerate safety enhancements in light GA aircraft and will stimulate additional high-quality manufacturing jobs throughout the entire general aviation industry.”
The ARC, composed of 150 government and aviation industry representatives from around the world, spent 18 months developing the recommendations.