EASA Proposes Competency-Based Overhaul for Airline Operational Control Staff

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has issued Opinion 01/2026, setting out proposed rules to strengthen training and assessment for personnel who exercise operational control functions at airlines — the staff responsible for decisions on dispatch, routing, and in-flight operational changes. Rather than prescribing specific job titles, the opinion is built around competency-based training and assessment (CBTA), requiring airlines to define roles and decision-making authority clearly within their approved operations manuals. Airlines would need to run initial training, periodic refresher training, and ongoing assessments to demonstrate continuing competence throughout an employee's career in the role, with regulators expected to examine training records and judge whether staff have the knowledge, skills and judgment to carry out their responsibilities safely. EASA has proposed a three-year transition period for the new requirements, plus a further year specifically for personnel who are already qualified when the rule takes effect. Stuart Fox of IATA noted that ICAO took a similar competency-based approach to dispatcher training in 2021, with those requirements already in force for IATA member carriers since 2024, suggesting EASA's move follows an established international direction rather than breaking new ground. The proposal is aimed less at adding paperwork than at ensuring operational control decisions, often made under time pressure during irregular operations, are backed by demonstrably competent staff.