EASA launches new initiatives to prevent mid-air collisions in General Aviation

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, April 10, 2025 — The European airspace is one of the busiest and most complex in the world. As traffic demand continues to rise, it is important that all airspace users are able to be seen while flying and are also able to see each other. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has therefore worked with aviation authorities to launch two new initiatives to increase visibility and operational safety for General Aviation (GA) operators.

While commercial aircraft have long been equipped with Traffic Collision Avoidance Systems (TCAS), the cost and weight of such equipment meant it could not be used on smaller GA aircraft, which are mostly used by private pilots.

One of the key actions of the EASA GA Flightpath 2030+ has been to work with the aviation community to develop affordable solutions to tackle the safety challenge of preventing mid-air collisions, particularly in uncontrolled airspace where aircraft have historically used only visual separation – known as “See and Avoid”. Technological development has reached a stage where low-cost ¡Conspicuity devices are within reach of any GA pilot.

“Every year there are an average of 6 fatal airborne collisions involving GA, leading to 13 fatalities. The ability for every pilot to have access to affordable, compatible systems to enhance their situational awareness will be a major step forward in safety in this vital sector of the aviation community,” said Florian Guillermet, EASA Executive Director.  “GA is the part of aviation where the commercial pilots of tomorrow take their first steps in their careers. A thriving GA Community is therefore vital for the whole aviation eco-system.”

The ¡Conspicuity Declaration – a commitment to safety

The first initiative is the ¡Conspicuity Declaration, which is a voluntary policy statement, jointly established by 11 participating aviation authorities and other entities. Its primary objective is to facilitate and encourage the use of ¡Conspicuity devices and technical standards (including ADS-B out, ADS-L, surveillance data, and similar information) by all stakeholders with the shared aim of improving operational safety and enhancing safety culture in GA.

By adopting this ¡Conspicuity Declaration, the signatories express their commitment to foster the development of aircraft equipment and devices to ensure that airspace users in all sectors can be seen by other aircraft. They also agree to work together to improve aviation safety through collaborative analysis of data from such systems to help future prevention activities.

At the heart of the declaration is the agreement to promote a positive safety culture that encourages all stakeholders to manage and use airspace responsibly and for the benefit of safety. It will also ensure that any data collected through such systems are appropriately protected and used only to improve safety.

The ADS-L Coalition – A common standard for enhancing situational awareness

The second is focussed on technology providers, and the establishment of the ADS-L standard as the future unified interoperable protocol for systems for light aviation and drones, enabling aircraft to be electronically visible to other aircraft and ground observers. This will enhance the situational awareness of the pilot and help to prevent mid-air collisions. Organisations signing up to be part of the ADS-L Coalition commit to integrating ADS-L into their current or future products and to encourage the wider adoption of ADS-L to ensure consistency, interoperability and maximise safety benefits.

The coalition is a great step forward in enabling pilots across Europe to have access to affordable technology to keep the aviation system safe.

Background to the Prevention of Airborne Collisions

GA Flightpath 2030+ is the next phase of the EASA GA Roadmap, building on the successes this achieved for the whole GA Community. Through continued collaboration, the goal of GA Flightpath 2030+ is to enhance safety culture, enable sustainable growth and embrace a digital future so that we maximise the benefits of technology and encourage wider diversity and accessibility for this part of the industry.

From a safety perspective, one major goal is to prevent airborne collisions, which have been identified as a priority Key Risk Area in the EASA Annual Safety Review based on the identified risks and also the number of accidents and serious incidents. This is reflected in the European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS) priorities in Volume I “Strategic Priorities” of this document and has led to Safety Promotion Task (SPT).0119 to promote ¡Conspicuity, outlined in Volume II “EPAS Actions”.

The adoption of the ¡Conspicuity Declaration does not affect the application of Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 regarding the reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation and any other applicable European Union or national legislation.