Florian Guillermitt on EASA: This is the future head of aviation security in Europe

He is not as famous as Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr or Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury. Whoever is CEO of the European Aviation Safety Agency (or ESA for short) still holds a position of great importance – and not just in Europe. ESA, in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States of America, is the world's leading aviation authority.

For example, the European Commission was heavily involved in setting new requirements and conditions for the Boeing 737 MAX before allowing it to take off again after it was grounded. “Our evaluation was conducted completely independently of Boeing or the FAA and without any economic or political pressure,” Patrick Key, then head of the agency, said in 2021. “We asked tough questions until we got answers, and we keep moving forward.” For solutions that meet our high security requirements.”

Career in France

Now Easa has a new president: the board of directors has elected Florian Guillermet as future director of the body. Guillermit is currently the head of DSNA, the French state-designated air traffic control service provider. He has over 26 years of aviation experience, with a particular focus on navigation and air traffic management.

Guillermet previously worked on the European project The Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR), for Eurocontrol, which is responsible for coordinating air traffic control in Europe, for the French civil aviation authority Direction générale de l'aviation civile and for Air France. He is a graduate engineer from the Polytechnic School and holds a master's degree in air traffic management and aeronautics.

Successor to Tytgat and Ky

“EASA will play a crucial role in supporting the transition to greener aviation while maintaining the sector’s strong safety record,” Guillermitt said. “I look forward to leading the agency through these challenges and building a positive, multicultural work environment based on trust and transparency,” the new president said.

The next step for Guillermite is to make a presentation to the European Parliament's Transport and Tourism Committee – possibly on 22 January. The official announcement of his appointment is scheduled for February 15. He will then replace Luke Tytgat, who has served as acting Director-General since taking over at ESA from Patrick Key on September 1, whose ten-year term has expired.

Issa's headquarters are in Cologne

ESA is headquartered in Cologne, with permanent representation in Washington, Montreal, Beijing and Singapore. It employs more than 800 people and is responsible for aviation safety in Europe – for example by certifying aircraft or setting aviation safety rules. Their role in building more sustainable aviation is also increasing, for example through sustainable fuels or new propulsion technologies.