Aircraft Maintenance Programme (AMP) / Maintenance instruction

The maintenance for each aircraft has to be planned and performed according to an Aircraft Maintenance Program (AMP). This document must be created either by the owner/operator of the aircraft or by a CAMO/CAO.

The intention of the document is to combine all necessary maintenance and inspection tasks as required by the applicable Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) and recommendations by the aircraft manufacturer/parts manufacturer, respectively Type Certificate Holder for the products.

Prerequisite to maintain an aircraft in an airworthy condition and therefore safe operation is the adherence to the approved AMP. The AMP is the relevant document for planning and performing the necessary maintenance and inspection intervals.

Aircraft within the scope of the EASA

For EASA aircraft covered by Regulation EU No. 2018/1139, either Part-M or Part-ML according Regulation EU No. 1321/2014 applies.

Part-ML is applicable for the following aircraft as long as they are not operated commercially according Regulation EU No. 1008/2008:

1. Airplanes with a Maximum Tak-Off Mass (MTOM) of 2730 kg or less

2. Helicopters with a MTOM of 1’200kg or less

3. Other ELA 2 aircraft

The resulting consequences regarding the espective AMP are the following

Aircraft according EASA Part-ML

These AMP’s are not approved by the authority (FOCA). According ML.A.302 the owner of the aircraft can either approve the AMP of his aircraft by means of self declaration (self declared maintenance program), or the AMP can be approved by an approved CAO/CAMO organization.

EASA has published a template version of an AMP according ML.A.302 in the “acceptable means of compliance” (AMC) to EASA Part-ML (AMC2 ML.A.302). The EASA template is published on the FOCA website as a «Word-template» (AMP EASA Standard Template Part-ML (DOCX, 41 kB, 15.01.2024)) as well as an «Excel-template» (AMP EASA Standard Template Part-ML (XLSX, 66 kB, 15.01.2024)) to simplify the establishment and handling of the document.

Additionally the FOCA published an AMP template for non-complex Part-ML aircraft «AMP FOCA EASA Part-ML Version (XLSX, 481 kB, 15.01.2024)» as an “Excel” document.

The advantage of this template is, that it allows the use of additional options like “pilot owner maintenance”, or the use of a “Minimum Inspection Program” (MIP). Furthermore, a “component due-list” is prepared within this document.

If the conditions set by ML.A.302(e) are met, a formal AMP is not required (in particular all the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness issued by the Design Approval Holder/Constructor are followed without any deviations, all recommendations such as «time between overhaul» (TBO) are being followed without any deviation and there are no additional maintenance tasks to be performed resulting from any specific installation or repairs carried out). This “declaration” by the aircraft owner has to fulfill the formal and contentual requirements of ML.A.302(f).

The FOCA hast published a template («Vorlage Deklaration Part-ML ohne AMP (XLSX, 95 kB, 20.04.2020)»).

Non-complex aircraft* according EASA Part-M

Generally these AMP’s are approved by the authority (FOCA). “Indirect approvals” of organizations (CAO/CAMO) might apply, if the organization is eligible and approved for that privilege.

The maintenance programme should contain the following basic information defined in appendix I to AMC M.A.302 and AMC M.B.301(b).

*«non-complex aircraft»:

- Airplanes with a MTOM of 5’700kg or less

- Certified for a maximum of 19 passenger seats and for single crew

- Not equipped with turbojet engine(s) or maximum one turboprop engine

- Helicopter with a MTOM of 3’175kg or less

- Certified for a maximum of 9 passenger seats and for single crew

Non-EASA Standard Category Aircraft

Generally, the establishment of an AMP is not necessary for Non-EASA aircraft. According to article 25 of the ordinance of airworthiness of aircraft (VLL; SR 748.215.1) all instructions for continuing airworthiness including the recommended times between overhaul (TBO) according to the manufacturer (type certificate holder) are to be respected to legally assure the airworthiness of the aircraft.

An AMP according to the technical communication “TM 02.020-35” for Non-EASA aircraft must only be established if the owner/operator of a Non-EASA aircraft intends to deviate and therefore not respect the manufacturers recommended time between overhaul (TM 73.700-10).

For these cases, the FOCA has also published an AMP template in "Excel" (AMP FOCA Non-EASA Version (XLSX, 646 kB, 20.04.2020)).

For Non-EASA aircraft of the standard and special categories for which no maintenance instructions from the original manufacturer or a later type certificate holder are available, the template: Maintenance instructions for Non-EASA aircraft without information from a manufacturer (PDF, 386 kB, 03.11.2015) can be used.