한국항공우주연구원

- BASA concluded between Korea and the United States -

Korea and the United States have concluded a comprehensive aviation safety cooperation pact, Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA), in Singapore on February 19, 2008. It was signed by Chung Sang-ho, head of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (an affiliate of the Ministry of Construction & Transportation), and Acting Administrator Mr. Robert A. Sturgell of the Federal Aviation Administration.

The agreement includes cooperative measures on government certification and evaluation of the following six aviation safety-related areas: airworthiness of aviation products, environment, maintenance, operation, flight simulators, and flight training center. Among these, the airworthiness of aviation products and the environment-related areas with proven parity and compatibility will go into effect immediately by simultaneously concluding an implementation procedure (IP).

To export aviation products, airworthiness certification is required from the importing state. However, the U.S. has refused certification application from countries without the BASA, leaving Korean companies with no choice but to export using the OEM method under the name of foreign companies.

By concluding this agreement, about 150 aviation products such as aircraft tires and black boxes can be exported with FAA certification under the Korean makers’ names to the U.S. Furthermore, Korean manufacturers will be able to expand exports to other countries that have required FAA certification for import. This agreement gives recognition of the level of Korean aviation safety system, demonstrating that Korea’s law, personal capability, and certification system regarding flight airworthiness is on a par with the U.S.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority of the Ministry of Construction & Transportation, considering that the aviation product industry has performed relatively poorly compare to Korea’s air transport volume, ranking eighth in the world, has worked on advancing related laws and regulation, developing human resources, and providing technical support, in the name of pilot project which was begun with aviation tires sector, in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy. As a result, in March 2007, the FAA recognized Korea’s certification system to be on an equal level with the U.S. In July 2007, the tires developed by a Korean maker gained government-issued certification, the first such achievement for domestic aviation products. Preparation work was then initiated to conclude this agreement.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority announced that it will push ahead with similar agreements with European aviation product making countries as well as expand the areas of cooperation from aviation maintenance products to aircrafts. To this end, it plans to go ahead with a pilot project of developing a small aircraft for certification as part of the aviation safety technology development program (2007-2012, about 270 bn Won), beginning from 2008.