Brasília, April 2, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - The agreement signed today by the Brazilian Civil Aviation Department (DAC) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), of the United States, is a sign of the recognition of Brazil's status when it comes to the security measures adopted in civil aviation, according to the director of the DAC, Washington Carlos Machado.

The administrator of the FAA, Marion Blakey, said she was "impressed" by the high level of the air security standards adopted by the Brazilian aviation sector.

Blakey is in charge of air security in the United States, which concentrates the largest air traffic system in the world. The FAA administrator signed a document of cooperation between the United States and Brazil, today, in the area of aircraft approval. The criteria for approving aircraft have become increasingly strict since the September 11 attacks and are a source of growing concern around the world.

Machado recalled that Brazil possesses one of the world's largest aviation industry complexes, Embraer, located in São José dos Campos (SP). In his opinion, the new agreement with the FAA will remove obstacles to the sale of airplanes and other products of the Brazilian aviation industry, not only in the United States, but in other markets, such as Europe, and will contribute to Brazil's prestige in the area of aviation technology and manufacture. "Brazilian products will be able to compete on an equal technical basis in the American market with products made in the United States and other countries," he affirmed.

Translator: David Silberstein