European Authorities Coordination Group on Flight Data Monitoring (EAFDM)

The European Authorities Coordination Group on Flight Data Monitoring is an expert group of authorities dedicated to the promotion of Flight Data Monitoring.

Background

A Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) programme is a powerful tool for an aircraft operator to improve and monitor its operational safety.
National Aviation Authorities (NAAs) of EASA Member States are responsible for the oversight of their national aircraft operators including their FDM programmes. Beyond this function, NAAs can play an essential role in the promotion of FDM. In addition, information derived from FDM data can help a NAA in better assessing safety issues of national concern.
This is why several NAAs have put in place national safety meetings or forums dedicated to FDM, involving operators’ safety experts and NAA safety experts.

FDM in the European Plan for Aviation Safety

The role of NAAs and EASA in FDM promotion has been recognised in the European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS). Since 2012, the EPAS recommends that States set up a regular dialogue with their national aircraft operators on flight data monitoring (FDM), and that EASA foster actions by States which contribute to improving the implementation of FDM programmes. The EPAS also recommends that efforts be made to monitor through FDM the risks of Runway Excursion, Controlled Flight into Terrain, Mid-Air Collision and Loss of Control in Flight, in a more standardised manner (see Safety Management page for more information on the EPAS).

The EAFDM

The European Authorities Coordination Group on Flight Data Monitoring (EAFDM) is a voluntary and independent safety initiative with the following objectives:

  1. to foster actions by NAAs which contribute to improving the implementation of FDM programmes and to making FDM programmes more safety effective,
  2. to contribute to EASA objective of a high and uniform level of safety in Europe,
  3. to contribute to a better overview of air transport operational safety in Europe for EASA and NAAs.

Created in 2011, this group has met twice a year since then. Membership of EAFDM is open to NAAs of EASA Member States. In 2016, 12 Member States were represented: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and United Kingdom. In addition, observers of other regulators are allowed to EAFDM meetings. The topics covered by EAFDM are related but not limited to:

  1. Development of national FDM forums,
  2. Oversight of FDM programmes by NAAs,
  3. FDM-based indicators.

Contacts

For further information about the EAFDM, or if you would like to join this initiative, do not hesitate to contact us at fdm [at] easa.europa.eu