Story ID: 
Turnover, Backlogs Slowing Regulatory Approvals
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: As the FAA and EASA meet this week, industry leaders remain concerned that regulators cannot keep pace as the industry roars back to recovery.
Word Count: 280
As business aircraft manufacturers work to ramp up production to meet increasing backlogs and bring new products to market, concerns continue to loom about the ability of regulators to keep pace with the rapid growth, according to market analyst Jefferies. Recently hosting a Business Aviation Summit, Jefferies said a key takeaway is that as the industry recovers, “The government helped from the safety and regulatory perspective, but there is a backlog of projects for regulators to get through.”

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), which participated in the summit, reported that changing workforces and disruptions throughout the pandemic have led to a buildup of rules and regulations. Estimates are that one-third of employees responsible for industry oversight have been hired in the past two years.

This is compounded by changes made to the handling of type certifications and organization designation authorizations. Some of this delay comes from an increased focus on operational and training requirements that have come in the aftermath of the Boeing Max accidents.

Additionally, there has been a backlog of regulations, policies, and standards that have not been finalized covering new technologies such as avionics and electric and hybrid propulsion, as well as areas such as cybersecurity, GAMA said.

These issues are among those anticipated to be discussed during the three-day FAA and EASA International Aviation Safety Conference that kicks off today. GAMA has joined the Aerospace Industries Association as a co-sponsor of this event in Washington, D.C. Among the sessions this week are panels on strategies for future cooperation among regulators on validations, as well as the development of standards at the speed of change.