UK joins up with closest allies to create new forum to work together to tackle aviation’s biggest challenges 

A collaborative international aviation network with global aviation leaders has been launched to tackle the sector’s biggest challenges.

The National Aviation Authorities (NAA) network’s mission is to foster cooperation between world-leading aviation regulators on emerging challenges in aviation and aerospace, improving innovation and safety.

These challenges include making the most of new technology, such as safely integrating new forms of transport like air taxis into some of the busiest airspace systems in the world, as well as supporting the sector’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions and promote guilt-free flying.

The NAA network currently includes the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. The network will exist to ensure that the aviation sector is the safest and most innovative and environmentally conscious it can be.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

The aviation industry has shown immense resilience these past 2 years, with governments and authorities around the world working together with the sector on new challenges like slashing carbon emissions and making new technology as safe as it can be.

The NAA network is a huge step forward in supporting this work – helping the sector safely meet the challenges of tomorrow and improve lives for the better.

Sir Stephen Hillier, chair of both the UK Civil Aviation Authority and the National Aviation Authority Network Governance group said:

This is both an exciting and a challenging time for the global aviation sector, and regulators must move quickly to build greater resilience, keep pace with rapid innovation, and work together to reduce carbon emissions.

The NAA Network helps us strengthen collaborative approaches to common challenges and to share best practice and regulatory approaches.

We’re already doing timely and important work together within the network and I very much look forward to continuing to work closely with my colleagues in Australia, Canada, the United States and New Zealand to help advance global aviation.

Acting US Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Billy Nolen said:

We can only achieve the next era of aviation by working collaboratively with our international partners.

This network will help us with new aviation challenges, like bringing air taxis safely into operation and building a sustainable aviation system, and the FAA looks forward to working together.

The UK and its international partners will use the NAA network to respond quickly and flexibly to new issues and influence new regulation, finding ways to align approaches to address common challenges.

This group complements the various coordination mechanisms under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and remains committed to working within ICAO to support the global aviation system.

For example, NAA network regulators have already been sharing best practice on safety to help plan for future external shocks, meaning the sector will be better prepared to sustain operations in the event of a future shock on the scale of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.