Europe’s leading network carriers, represented by the Association of European Airlines (AEA), are urging US regulators to fully recognise European air cargo security standards and accelerate progress towards a mutual recognition agreement.
“At the moment European airlines have to seek cargo security approval on both sides of the Atlantic,” said AEA Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus. “We are calling on US regulators to accept Europe’s robust security standards as equal to their own. This will simplify processes for airlines and remove unnecessary duplication.”
A significant volume of air freight – 9% of the worldwide total – is carried over the North Atlantic. Mutual recognition would streamline this essential trade flow, while maintaining the highest possible security levels.
“We are encouraged that a number of EU States have recently signed bilateral cargo recognition agreements with the USA, but this must serve as a concrete foundation towards our final goal: a single, comprehensive EU-US deal,” he said.
Over recent months, Finland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK have finalised cargo recognition agreements with the USA and several more are underway.
“Once we have a critical build-up of US approvals, an EU-wide deal will be a simple next step. These audits should give the USA confirmation, if it is really needed, that European regulators take air cargo security extremely seriously,” concluded Mr Schulte-Strathaus.
