Minister for Innovation and Technology László Palkovics and Managing Director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Patrick Ky renewed the cooperation agreement between the two organisations on 9 October in Budapest. The Agency’s liaison office in Budapest will continue to provide on-site support in the interests of assuring an even higher level of aviation safety during the first half of 2021.
The Ministry for Innovation and Technology and EASA signed a memorandum of understanding in the summer of 2019 in the interests of increased cooperation. The liaison office established in January of this year reinforces the Hungarian Transport Authority’s supervisory activities through the sharing of professional knowledge.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency, which has 32 member states, employs 800 experts worldwide and operates permanent representations in the United States, Canada, China and Singapore. The mission of the organisation, which is mainly funded from industry fees, is to achieve a higher level of aviation safety, and to support sustainability goals in Europe.
László Palkovics told reporters: “The experiences relating to the functioning of the liaison office are extremely favourable, and accordingly the Ministry for Innovation and Technology regards it as self-evident that it is worth continuing our joint work. EASA’s permanent presence has facilitated the Hungarian Civil Aviation Authority’s continuous organisational development, which also extends to a major increase in the number of expert employees, to a major extent”.
Although the coronavirus epidemic and the related measures have drastically reduced passenger traffic at the world’s airports, the significance of aviation safety has not fallen even with the cancelling of a significant proportion of the previously regular air passenger services. The routine of pilots who are now working less may become worn over time, and continuous operation is better for aeroplanes than sitting in hangars. Accordingly, modern and high-quality supervisory activities on the part of the relative authority remain vital to creating the conditions for safe air transport.