Understanding the Responsibilities of the Maintainer and Operator related to Aviation Maintenance within an EASA environment

Ensuring that we ensure compliance with the highest standards of Aviation Safety, is a responsibility which is shared between manufacturers, operators, regulators and MRO (Maintenance Repair Organisations) or Aviation Maintenance organisations, but note that each organisational element has specific obligations to ensure compliance with all regulatory obligations.

We understand that the aviation maintenance environment is heavily regulated this is true in fact whether the activity is delivered in the Middle East, Europe, America or the Far East.

Over the years we have seen a steady improvement in the technical safety of aircraft, however the potential exposure introduced by the human element remains ever present and needs to be addressed in the best way possible.

Aviation maintenance in all its forms and deliverables is governed by either national, federal or European regulations this is driven by overarching regulations published by ICAO known as Standard and Recommend Practices (SARPS) which sit at the very top of the regulations tree, below this national regulations are the responsibility of each member state.

Within Europe the responsibility for the development oversight and implementation of the regulatory structure sits with European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) who are responsible ultimately for the oversight of the aviation maintenance standards in each and every European Member State.

To comply with European regulations each Aviation Maintenance organisation is required to have a person who is given the role of accountable manager and is responsible for the delivery of the organisational quality and safety, in addition this person is required to demonstrate sufficient funding availability to comply with the regulatory requirements.

The Maintenance Organisation or the Operator (An additional area of oversight is to be found in Europe provided by the Operators within the remit of Part M responsibilities) is required to nominate a person who will be approved by the competent authority to ensure by audit that the aviation maintenance organisation maintains not just the standard but oversight of the continuing delivery of this standard on a continuous basis.

Essentially this responsibility mandates the ownership of the ultimate obligation to ensure compliance with the continuous airworthiness product resides with the Operators CAMO (Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Organisation). The responsibility places a burden on the operator which requires them to have an active relationship with the Aircraft Maintenance Company, which is intended to assure effective delivery of the maintenance product.

For further information please visit www.sofemaonline.com or email us at online@sassofia.com or office@sassofia.com