For the better part of the last decade, the aviation industry has been talking about a revised version of FAR 23 that would streamline and simplify aircraft certification, theoretically slowing the sharp rise in the cost of new aircraft. Yet two years after the Congress passed legislation requiring the FAA to complete the Part 23 revision by 2015, the FAA says it wont meet the deadline. Even the Europeans are baffled by this delay; industry sources say Europe is far ahead of the U.S. in implementing these changes.
The stakes are enormous. The U.S. is already in danger of losing its traditional lead in aircraft manufacturing and at least two foreign manufacturers plan to certify aircraft in Europe, then gain FAA approval through bilateral, giving them a huge cost advantage over U.S.-based companies.