The 2024 edition of its annual European Plan for Aviation Safety published by EASA reflects the European air safety agency’s most current assessment of strategic priorities for EU member states. The document includes updates to the Volume I strategic priorities document covering 2023 through 2025, as well as 19 new action items spelled out in Volume II and an updated safety risk portfolio in Volume III.
Among the new rulemaking tasks set by EASA is an action to address safety concerns over “erroneous takeoff parameters and position errors” in airline operations. The new report also calls for a new regulatory framework to address the “trustworthiness” of artificial intelligence and the safe integration of higher airspace operations.
The report identified the following three risk areas for general aviation operations as being of greatest importance: aircraft upset, airborne collision, and runway excursion. It indicated that the first two risks are mainly associated with leisure or personal flying.
According to outgoing executive director Patrick Ky, EASA has adjusted and shortened the timeline for implementing the safety plan to make its work more focused. He also said the air transport industry needs greater stability to deal with the continuing fallout from Covid and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The agency has deprioritized some action items in its plan in response to acknowledged budget restrictions at EASA and national aviation authorities.