Singapore Airshow 2018: CAAS, US FAA reaffirm ties, revise safety pact

THE Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have signed revisions to the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement - Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness (BASA-IPA) on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow, deepening cooperation between the two government agencies.

The BASA-IPA, originally signed in 2004 and revised once in 2007, has been expanded again with provisions for the mutual recognition of airworthiness of civil aeronautical products. It also includes an expanded scope of modifications and repairs allowed beyond that of cabin interiors.

According to a joint CAAS-FAA media statement, the enhancements will reduce duplication in certification for design approvals issued to air operators and aeronautical design industries from the US and Singapore, helping save costs and time.

The revisions follow the launch of the US-Singapore Joint Aviation Steering Committee (JASC) in December 2017, which is co-led by the FAA administrator and the CAAS director-general of civil aviation.

The pact provides strategic guidance on aviation initiatives between the FAA and the CAAS in international aviation safety, regional cooperation and development, air traffic management, environment and cybersecurity.

CAAS deputy director-general Tay Tiang Guan said that the agreement was testament to the "high safety standards" upheld by both agencies.

The FAA acting deputy administrator Carl Burleson said that the American agency was looking forward to the development of the FAA-CAAS Joint Aviation Steering Committee.

A bilateral agreement similar to BASA-IPA was also signed at the Singapore Airshow 2016, called the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement - Maintenance Implementation Procedures.

It allows for the reciprocal acceptance of safety oversight requirements, as well as mutual recognition of procedures for the approval and monitoring of organisations involved with aircraft maintenance.