Safety training centres

Citation

(2007), "Safety training centres", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 79 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2007.12779cab.014

Safety training centres

Safety training centres

The new training facilities hosting the European Aviation Safety Training Organisation (EASTO) and the Joint Aviation Authorities Training Office (JAA TO) were officially inaugurated in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands. EASTO aims to become one of Europe's leading aviation safety training centres by offering a full range of courses including examinations on aviation safety regulations and procedures that are established primarily in the framework of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). As a non-profit training centre, EASTO will promote and contribute to the development of training material and courses designed to support the dissemination of knowledge and awareness of European and international aviation safety regulations and procedures. The JAA TO on its side will continue to provide a wide range of courses on JAA regulations.

The modern training facilities with state of the art equipment were established during 2006 with the assistance of the well-known Dutch design enterprise Gispen. The opening ceremony was attended by a wide gathering of high-level officials from Europe's leading institutions in the field of aviation safety. The ceremony was concluded by the State Secretary for Transport, Public Works and Water Management, Mrs Melanie Schultz van Haegen, whose appearance was the first official one since her leave. In congratulating all the ones having supported the creation of such a professional training centre she underlined the crucial importance of training saying “if you want safe aviation, you need high level training in aviation safety”. Other keynote speakers were Patrick Goudou, Executive Director of EASA, Thorgeir Pálsson, Chairman of the Board of JAA Board and André Auer, Chief Executive of JAA and Chairman of the EASTO Board.

EASTO is an international training organisation formed by the following members: JAA, the International Institute of Air and Space Law of the University of Leiden, The Netherlands Aerospace Laboratory, The Netherlands Aviation College and ADSE consulting and engineering. EASTO is planning to extend its membership to additional partners in the near future. The JAA is an associated body of the European Civil Aviation Conference representing the civil aviation regulatory authorities of 40 European States, who by signing the Cyprus arrangements have agreed to co-operate in developing and implementing common safety regulatory standards and procedures. This co-operation relates in particular to operations and licensing with the intention to provide high and consistent standards of safety and a level playing field for competition in Europe.