The commitments of the Italian delegation at the 42nd ICAO Assembly in Montréal, taking place from 23 September to 3 October (see AVIONEWS), continue: yesterday a Declaration of Intent (DoI) was signed between Enac (Italian Civil Aviation Authority) and the US FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) for the development of aerospace transport, in the presence of the Italian Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Edoardo Rixi.

For Enac the agreement was signed by President Pierluigi Di Palma and Director General Alexander D'Orsogna; for the US authority, Chris Rocheleau, Deputy Administrator, and Minh Nguyen, Acting Deputy Associate Administrator Commercial Space.

Deputy Minister Rixi (Mit) said: "The signing of the Declaration of Intent between FAA and Enac on suborbital space transport represents a decisive step in cooperation between Italy and the United States and contributes to the advancement of the Grottaglie spaceport project. The Taranto facility is an infrastructure with the potential to foster technological innovation, attract investment and promote job growth. The understanding defines a path towards shared rules and lays the foundations for a future bilateral agreement, consolidating our country's role in the new space economy".

Enac President Di Palma declared: "A new concrete step towards aerospace transport, within the broader horizon of cooperation already consolidated between Enac and the Federal Aviation Administration. I thank Deputy Minister Rixi for his active support of this path, thanks to which Italy, also through the Grottaglie spaceport, is preparing to become a European reference for suborbital flights".

Enac Director General D'Orsogna stated: "The partnership signed today marks a new chapter in the already consolidated Enac-FAA synergy, strategic for a shared regulatory framework that creates favourable conditions for the activation of suborbital operations on both sides of the Atlantic".

Also present for the Italian Authority were Central Director Claudio Eminente and Directors Costantino Pandolfi and Giovanni Di Antonio; for the US FAA, Simone Pérez, Assistant Administrator Policy & Strategic Engagement.