FAA International Leader’s 1st step in reestablishing US’s Global Status
Apologies AI seems to have accepted that #47’s call to annex our Northern friends is a REALITY
Below are two articles that may signal that the Trump-Duffy-Bedford team GETS the need for the US/DOT/FAA to resurrect its international status.. The FAA met with their counterparts at the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation. The parties exchanged documents that will enhance the confidence in their respective aviation safety competence. The texts are not the news- the effort by Washington to restore these links is!!!
Over the past two decades, Congress and the OMB budget hawks have diminished the value of US Aviation’s presence around the globe. Most notably FAA offices in several Embassies were closed or at best the function transferred elsewhere in the Consulates. The FAA representative in Brussels, home of EASA’s primary office, now works from Washington distantly from this influential aviation authority.
That same time period was marked by aggressive efforts by EASA, the PRC and other CAAs to carry their aeronautical influence into a number of countries– particularly Africa, Eastern Europe, South America and the Middle East. Their relationships with these markets of tremendous aviation growth potential are supporting their domestic industries. Each of these CAAs are gearing up to assist/deal with these aviation staffs, likely to increase their amity.
A third sea change has had the greatest impact on the FAA’s influence around the globe. The disasters tarnished our GOLD STANDARD status. Now when FAA IASA auditors arrive at some CAA, PEER rather than SUPERIOR is the operative status.
The need to take positive steps to reassert the FAA’s leadership in Aviation Safety is chronicled in these posts:
- Other Nations bolster their AERONAUTICAL presence- what’s the US doing ? 9/18/24 PRC and Brazil; PRC and Spain
- Africa’s desperate aviation safety needs and its Strategic Natural Resources = DEAL??? 8/10/24
- Foreign TC Validation needs FAA people, not GAO’s process 1/21/24
- Secretary (n) Duffy: a couple of quick wins that will please Your President— 1/21/25
- Biden-Xi announce expanded aviation relationships—” not so fast” as to aircraft certification 1/10/24
All of that background establishes that the current FAA international team deserves some credit. These ceremonies are the denouements of hours and hours of staff-to-staff discussions, exchanges of massive files of technical data to confirm the bases for these agreements and considerable efforts to craft appropriate language that will bind the parties. The signing of papers for the photographs could occur without completing all of these prerequisites.
The new Assistant Administrator for Policy and Strategic Engagement (APL)is SIMONE R. PÉREZ. Her relevant credentials are strong evidence that her appointment shows that the Administration is committing to this important, though neglected, mission:
- Policy Director, Aviation and Space on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Senior Director, Civil Aviation at Aerospace Industries Association.
- Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation.
- Professional Staff member at the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Aviation
- Pérez holds a Bachelor of Arts IN GOVERNMENT from Skidmore College
- She also holds a Master of Arts in INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE AND PUBLIC POLICY from George Mason University.
Her offices are charged with leading the FAA’s international programs and initiatives for harmonization of aerospace standards. Her diplomatic agenda is to advance global aviation safety, operational excellence, and innovation by leading and collaborating with aviation authorities globally.
This is ALP’s display of their work around the globe-
The future will require more of these incremental, but positive, outreaches. Hopefully Ms. Pérez’s 1st step will be just the beginning of an effective campaign.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore enhance global safety collaboration
September 26, 2025 by PLA Editor
(L-R) On 23 September 2025, Mr. Bryan Bedford, Administrator, U.S. Department of Transportation’s FAA and Mr. Han Kok Juan, Director-General, CAAS, signed an enhanced Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement – Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness (BASA-IPA).
On 23 September 2025, United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator, Bryan Bedford, and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) Director-General, Han Kok Juan, signed an enhanced Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement – Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness (BASA-IPA) at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) 42nd Assembly.
The enhanced agreement streamlines the VALIDATION PROCESS for certain aircraft modification designs between the FAA and CAAS. Additionally, under the enhanced agreement, the FAA will now recognise CAAS approvals for minor aircraft modification, all aircraft repair, and minor changes to article designs[1].
“This agreement underscores a significant step forward in our efforts with CAAS. By streamlining regulatory processes while maintaining the highest standards of safety, we’re strengthening global aviation partnerships and fostering innovation for the aerospace industry worldwide,” said Administrator Bryan Bedford.
Director-General Han Kok Juan said, “The expansion of the CAAS-FAA mutual recognition agreement is a testament to our CLOSE PARTNERSHIP AND THE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE and marks a new milestone in Singapore-US aviation cooperation. It will significantly benefit Singapore-based companies which require U.S.’s approval, or whose customers require U.S.’s approval, for their work.”
The FAA and CAAS first signed a BASA-IPA in 2007. The enhanced agreement is the result of a joint FAA-CAAS review, which included site visits by the FAA to Singapore-based aviation and aerospace companies.
Saudi Aviation Delegation Visits FAA, Boeing’s HQ and Dreamliner facility, Signing an MoU on Sustainability and Advanced Air Mobility
Washington D.C, September 19, 2025 – Ties between Saudi Arabia and the United States were further strengthened in the aviation sector during a visit to the US by a delegation from the Saudi civil aviation sector, led by His Excellency Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).
The delegation visited the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the headquarters of Boeing in Washington DC, as well as the Dreamliner facility in Charleston, South Carolina, where the company builds the 787 Dreamliner.
Collaboration opportunities in civil aviation, aircraft manufacturing and maintenance services, sustainability, and advanced technologies initiatives were among the many topics discussed across the two-day visit.
The visit aimed to enhance cooperation with the United States in knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and localization of the aviation industry, IN LINE WITH THE KINGDOM’S GOAL OF BECOMING A GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL AND LOGISTICS HUB IN AVIATION as part of its economic diversification, as set out in Vision 2030.
“By engaging with global aviation regulators and manufacturers, GACA is supporting Vision 2030 objectives to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s role as a hub connecting three continents, delivering greater connectivity and travel experiences for the Kingdom’s passengers. With new Saudi airlines being launched, record aircraft orders, and a focus on innovation and sustainability, the visit highlights the unprecedented opportunities being created by the Kingdom and UNDERSCORES THE STRONG SAUDI–U.S. AVIATION PARTNERSHIP,” said GACA President, His Excellency Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej.
During the delegation’s visit, GACA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Boeing at the company’s headquarters in Washington DC on the field of sustainability and advanced air mobility. The agreement was signed by Captain Sulaiman Al-Muhaimidi, GACA’s Executive Vice President for Aviation Safety and Environmental Sustainability, and Mr. Asaad AlJomoai, President of Boeing Saudi Arabia. On the second day, the delegation had a tour around the 787 Dreamliner facility in Charleston, South Carolina.
“This partnership with Boeing reflects GACA’s commitment to creating safer, smarter skies through advanced air mobility innovation. The effort further cements Saudi Arabia at the forefront of the future of aviation,” said GACA’s Executive Vice President.
In Washington, His Excellency the GACA President and the delegation met with FAA Deputy Administrator Mr. Chris Rocheleau. The meeting reviewed areas of cooperation, including exchange of expertise in aviation safety, development of specialized training programs for Saudi aircraft airworthiness engineers and inspectors, and support for innovation in emerging fields such as advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems.
The two sides also explored avenues for strengthening cooperation in , as well as highlighting the Kingdom’s enablers and incentives to attract quality investments in the industry.
[1] BASA-IPA is the operational backbone of the FAA’s system of dealing with other CAAs. BASAs turn diplomatic intent into technical reality by laying out the exact steps for mutual recognition of airworthiness standards. These agreements are narrowly focused on aircraft design, production, and certification; they define with specificity how airworthiness approvals are validated and exchanged.
