Top European air safety regulator warns over budget squeeze

The outgoing head of Europe's aviation regulator has issued a warning over resources and called for a bigger role as it grapples with "systemic risks" in the aviation ecosystem. The call comes as the 31-nation European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) looks to address recent safety concerns with far fewer staff and resources than its US counterpart, the FAA. "We are struggling," EASA Acting Executive Director Luc Tytgat said, weeks before his retirement. Europe's main regulator has a staff of some 800 and a budget of E248m for 2024. In contrast, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration employs over 40,000 and has a budget of nearly $20b. Its size partly reflects its responsibility for the world's busiest air traffic system.<br/>The two regulators have been shaping rules for new forms of aviation while addressing threats such as cyberattacks and increasing scrutiny of existing projects. "In seven years we haven't stopped re-inventing the wheel," Tytgat said. "And we have been able to grow in terms of tasks, but with the same level of resources," he said at the regulator's headquarters in Cologne overlooking the Rhine. The air safety veteran was appointed the agency's acting head last year, succeeding Patrick Ky, who was credited with boosting its influence during crises over Boeing crashes in 2018 and 2019.<br/>