US leasing giant accuses European agency of inconsistently overseeing safety and ignoring industry concerns

One of the world’s biggest aircraft leasing companies has launched an astonishing attack on the new European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), accusing it of failing to respond to industry concerns about “inconsistencies” in its administration of safety oversight.

International Lease Finance (ILFC), based in San Francsico, says its efforts to do business in Europe are being frustrated because its attempts to open a dialogue with EASA are proving unproductive.

ILFC senior vice-president technical Richard Poutier concedes that Europe’s safety oversight system is in undergoing a difficult transition, but that communication with the agency is one-way – from EASA to its customers.

“ILFC and other lessors are having major issues with the inconsistencies of how EASA is administering its oversight,” says Poutier. Despite the fact that leasing organisations own 80% of aircraft entering European airline fleets every year and requiring European certification, there is no EASA arrangement for dealing specifically with leasing company business, says Poutier.

ILFC’s two delegates at June’s EASA Europe/US International Aviation Safety Conference in Cologne, Germany noted that none of the questions or feedback from users was recorded. ILFC says it asked EASA whether feedback was recorded with a view to action and says the agency admitted it was not.

But EASA says it requested full feedback from participants at the conference and says results will be posted on its web site.

Poutier says ILFC backs the rationale behind Europe’s oversight system transition and says it wants to help accelerate the process of making EASA fully effective.

DAVID LEARMOUNT/LONDON

Source: Flight International

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