News and Updates – FAA Inks Aviation Agreements with Brazil and Canada

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has signed separate agreements with Brazils Agncia Nacional de Aviao Civil (ANAC) and Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) that will make it easier to approve each countrys aircraft and aviation products for their growing aviation markets.

For many years, the FAA and Brazils ANAC have been cooperating to enhance aviation safety, security, and other areas. Brazil is a member of the quadrilateral Certification Management Team (CMT). They have responsibility for Embraer, the preeminent Brazilian aircraft manufacturer.

The first FAA-ANAC Implementation Procedures Agreement (IPA) was signed in September 2006, with two amendments thereafter, most recently in February 2016. The revision signed today expands the IPA to include Part 23 (General Aviation Aircraft) and provides risk based decision criteria for the U.S. and Brazil to validate each others aviation products.

The latest revision maximizes reliance on each countrys certification authorities and reduces redundant validation activities and resources. It also more closely aligns the IPA with the bilateral agreements of the other CMT partners (the European Union and Canada). The ANAC IPA revision has a 3-month implementation period, which provides much-needed time to familiarize all stakeholders with its content.

The FAA and TCCA also continued their long tradition of cooperation. The two agencies signed a Shared Surveillance Management Plan that defines the process by which they recognize each others surveillance of manufacturers and their suppliers in the United States and Canada.

The Plan ensures manufacturers, certificate holders, production approval holders and suppliers are complying with the responsible countries applicable regulatory requirements. The plan requires manufacturers to comply with an approved quality system and ensure their subcontractors and suppliers also meet the applicable requirements and adhere to quality standards

The result will be less need for FAA and TCCA aviation inspectors to travel to each others facilities to do surveillance. Previously this was done on a case-by-case basis.