US transport department signals faster aircraft certification process

The US Department of Transportation says it intends to streamline certification for new aircraft, with the stated aim of encouraging innovation and keeping China from gaining a competitive edge in global aerospace.

At an event in Washington, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy questioned how long aeronautical developments take to win approval, calling the process bureaucratic. "Where is the new innovation in aviation from the big manufacturers? It doesn't happen because it is very difficult to certify," he said. Aviation must stay safe, he added, but he asked whether the process could move faster.

Approval for a new commercial aircraft can take five years or more, requiring extensive test campaigns, large amounts of data and detailed technical documentation.

Speaking to journalists afterwards, Duffy said slow approvals carry direct consequences for private capital and for US industry leadership against the Asian market. "If we can't move at a different pace in certification, we are going to lose. China is going to beat us. We won't lose for lack of innovation," he said.

Private capital, he added, will hold back from investing in innovative developments if official authorisations take as long as a decade.

The department indicated the move to shorten approval times would ease the path for the sector's main manufacturers, naming Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier.