The European General Aviation Manufacturers Association celebrates its two-year anniversary at EBACE. EGAMA senior executives and founding members are out in force to raise the profile of this influential tradebody, which represents the interests of Europe's business and general aviation manufacturing industry.
Since 2007 EGAMA has helped to shape a number of policies affecting the region's airframers and engine builders and bolster the industry's profile within the European political and regulatory establishments.
Notable initiatives include successfully removing single-engined turboprops and below from the European Aviation Safety Agency's regulations on complex aircraft and helping to promote the sector within the authoritative Queiro report -recently adopted by the European Parliament -as a vital and unique sector of the aviation industry.
At the show, Nicolas Chabbert, founding member of EGAMA and senior vice-president of Daher Socata said:"This report recognises the benefits brought by business and general aviation in Europe and has finally put our industry in a prominent and influential position on the agendas of regulatory bodies in Europe, rather than on the sidelines,"
Oliver Villa, EGAMA chairman and senior vice-president of Dassault Aviation, said: "The formation of EGAMA [part of the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe] was sparked by a lack of understanding of our industry [by Europe's decision making bodies],"
Last year European GA manufacturers shipped more than1,200 aircraft valued at €8.8 billion ($12 billion)-this is a sizeable portion of the total worldwide delivery tally, Villa explained. The association now has 12 members including Piaggio, Eurocopter, Swidnik, Evektor, Diamond and Turbomeca and is in discussions with Pilatus Aircraft with a view to persuading the Swiss airframer to join.
"To influence the decision-making process you have to be in at the beginning and we are getting our views across on many issues affecting our industry, including emissions trading and safety," Villa added.
Source: Flight Daily News
