European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
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b.
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Part-66 Certifying Staff
Part 145 – Maintenance Organisation Approval
Part M – Continuing Airworthiness
Part 147 – Traning Organisation Requirements
Part 21 – Subpart J Design Organisation
Part 21 – Subpart G Production Organisation
European Aviation Safety Agency
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is a European Union (EU) agency with regulatory and
executive tasks in the field of civilian safety. Based in Cologne, Germany, the EASA was created on 15th
of July 2002, and it reached full functionality in 2008, taking over functions of the Joint Aviation
Authorities (JAA).
The responsibilities of EASA include to conduct analysis and research of safety, authorising foreign
operators, giving advice for the drafting of EU legislation, implementing and monitoring safety rules
(including inspections in the member states) giving type-certification of aircraft and components as well
as the approval of organisations involved in the design, manufacture and maintenance of aeronautical
products.
OnAir’s inflight connectivity solutions are certified by EASA as safe for use on aircraft.
Difference from JAA
The JAA was headquartered at Hoofddorp, Amsterdam. One difference between EASA and JAA is that
EASA has legal regulatory authority within the EU through the enactment of its regulations through the
European Commission, Council of the EU and European Parliament, while most of the JAA regulatory
products were harmonized codes without direct force o law. Also, some JAA nations such as Turkey
were outside the EU whereas by definition, EASA is an agency of the EU and other nations adopt its rules
and procedures on a voluntary basis.
Jurisdiction
EASA has jurisdiction over new type of certificates and other design-related airworthiness approvals for
aircraft, engines, propellers and parts. EASA works with the National Aviation Authorities (NAAs) of the
EU members but has taken over many of their functions in the interest of aviation standardisation
across the EU. EASA is also responsible for assisting the European Commission in negotiating
international harmonisation agreements with the Rest Of The World (ROW) on behalf of the EU member
states and also concludes technical agreements at a working level directly with its counterparts around
the world such as the US-FAA. EASA also sets policy for aeronautical repair stations (Part-145
organizations in Europe and the US – also known as Part – 571 organizations in foreign repair stations to
perform work acceptable to the EU on EU aircraft. EASA has developed regulations or air operations,
flight crew licensing and non-EU aircraft used in the EU and these shall apply after the required
European legislation to expand the Agency’s remit enters into force.
Regulations
In Europe, Aircraft Maintenance Certifying Personnel have to comply to Part-66 Certifying Staff of the
EASA.
Part – 66 is basd on the older JAR system and the required training level follows the ATA 104 system.
There are 3 levels of authorization:
Category A (Line Maintenance Mechanic): Basic A category License + Task Training (Level depends on
Task Complexity) + Company Certification Authorisation for specific Tasks (“A category A aircraft
maintenance license permits the holder to issue certificates of RTS following minor scheduled line
maintenance and simple defect rectification within the limits of tasks specifically endorsed on the
authorisation. The certification privileges shall be restricted to work that the license holder has
personally performed ina Part – 145 organisation”).
Category B1 (Mechanical) and/or B2 (Avionics) (Line Maintenance Technician) : Basic B1/B2 category
License + Type Training + Company Certification Authorisation (A category B1 AML shall permit the
holder to issue certificates of RTS llowing maintenance, including aircraft structure, powerplant and
mechanical and electrical systems. Replacement of avionic line replaceable units, requiring simple tests
to prove their serviceability, shall also be included in the privileges. Category B1 shall automatically
include the appropriate A subcategory”, A category B2 AML shall permit the holder to issue certificates
of RTS following maintenance on avionic and electrical systems”).
Category C (Base Maintenance Engineer): Basic C category license + Type Training + Company
Certification Authorization.
A significant difference between the US and the European systems is that in the US, aircraft
maintenance technicians are permitted to work under their own certificates and approve their own
work for RTS. European Part 66 certificate holder are required to perform their functions under the
aegis of a Part 145 organization for Transport Category and Large Airplanes. The part 145 organization in
the EASA system has the authority to approve for RTS. Many non-European countries have been moving
toward the European approach, most notably Canada.
Part – 145 Maintenance Organization Approval
To obtain approval to be an aeronautical repair station, an organization must write, submit and keep
updated a “Maintenance Organization Exposition (MOE). To support their MOE they must have
documented set of procedures. Thirdly the organisation must have aompliance matrix to show how they
meet the requirements for Part – 145
EASA Part-M Continuing Airworthiness
EASA Part-M consists of several subparts. The noteworthy subparts are F (Maintenance for aircraft
below 5700 kgs in non-commercial environment), G (Continuing Airworthiness Management
Organization = CAMO, coordinating the compliance of aircraft with maintenance program, airworthiness
directive and service bulletins) the airworthiness code is available on the EASA website, in the
regulations sections.
EASA Part-147 Training Organization Requirements
To go with Part-66 on the issuing of licenses is the larger area of setting up and gaining approval for a
training school for aircraft mechanics. Part-147 governs the larger situation of establishing such a
training school.
EASA Part-21 Subpart J Design Organisation
‘Design Organization’ means an organization responsible for the design of aircraft, aircraft engines,
propellers, auxiliary power units, or related parts and appliances, and holding, or applying for, typecertificates, supplemental type-certificates, changes or repairs design approvals or ETSO Authorisations.
A design organisation hold DOA, Design Organization Approval. A DOA-List enlisting all companies
holding DO approval with their capabilities can be downloaded from the EASA website.
Part 21 requirements for Design Organisation Approvals and Productions Organisation Approvals, as
described in Regulation 1702/2003 on “Implementing Rules”
EASA Part-21 Subpart G Production Organisation
A company holding Production Organisation Approval (POA), has the approval to build and certify
aircraft parts when a DOA POA agreement is in place.
A part built for an aircraft can be certificated with an EASA Form One as approved for a particular
aircraft type once it has been installed as prototype to an aircraft and has been certificated by a Design
Organisation with a Minor Change Approval, a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) or a Type Certificate
(TC)
Certification On 28th of September 2003, the EASA took over responsibility for the airworthiness and
environmental certification of all aeronautical products, parts and appliances designed, manufactured,
maintained or used by persons under the regulatory oversight of EU Member States.
The Certification work also includes all post-certification activities, such as the approval of changes to,
and repairs of, aeronautical products and their components, as well as the issuing of airworthiness
directives to correct any potentially unsafe situation.
All type-certificates are therefore now issued by the EASA and are valid throughout the EU. It also
carries out the same role for foreign organisations involved in the manufacture or maintenance of such
products. The EASA relies on national aviation authorities who have historically filled this role and
concludes contractual arrangements to this effect.
FAA
(FAA Headquarters, Washington DC)
In December 2000, and organization within the FAA called the Air Traffic Organization, or ATO, was set
up by Presidential Executive Order. This became the Air Navigation Science Proficder for the airspace of
the United States and for the New York and Oakland oceanic ares. It is a full member of the Civil Air
Navigation Services Organisation.
The FAA issues a number of awards to holder of its licenses. Among these are demonstrated
proficiencies as a mechanic, an instructor, a 50-year aviator, or as a safe pilot. The latter, the FAA “Wings
Program,” provides a series of ten badges for pilots who have undergone several hours of training since
their last award. A higher level can be claimed each year.
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is an agency of the UN, codifies the principles and
techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air
transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. The ICAO Council adopts standards and recommended
practices concerning air navigation, prevention of unlawful interference, and facilitation of bordercrossing procedures for international civil aviation.
In addition, the ICAO defines the protocols for air accident investigation followed by transport safety
authorities in countries signatory to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, commonly known as
the Chicago Convention.
Major National Aviation Authorities
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Federal Aviation Administration (FAA, USA)
Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA, Austrailia)
Transport Canada (TC, Canada)
Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC, Brazil)
Direction Génerale de I’Aviation Civile (DGAC, France)
Luftfahrt-Bundesamt) (LBA, Germany)
Civil Aviation Authority (Greece)
Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom)