One-stop shop for safety authorization of TCOs in the EU

The European Commission announced the adoption of new Regulation (Part-TCO) that enables Third Country Operators (TCO) to obtain a single safety authorization for operations in the EU. TCOs will no longer be required to make a separate application for a safety authorization to each EU Member State they want to fly to, as is the case now.

The new Regulation will be applicable to commercial operations of foreign airlines to the 28 EU-MS plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland (members of the European Free Trade Association). The authorization will be conducted by EASA, which will employ a risk-based approach, taking into account a variety of data for each operator: the more reliable the foreign operator is, the simpler will be the single authorization procedure. EASA will actually validate of the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) issued to a foreign air operator by its State’s competent aviation authority. A transitional period of 30 months is foreseen.

The new Regulation does not concern mere overflight rights above the EU.

For more details, see the relevant site of EASA .