Maintenance on aircraft

Maintenance on aircraft
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Maintenance activities on aircraft may only be carried out by an organisation or specialised personnel who hold the necessary approvals. The FOCA issues such approval to organisations which have undergone an inspection and have thus demonstrated that they meet the relevant legal requirements. The approval procedure may take several months, depending on the size of the organisation and the complexity of the activities involved.

Once the Part 145 or Part-CAO approval has been issued, maintenance organisations are regularly inspected and audited by the FOCA. If the organisation concerned is found to no longer meet the requirements, it must permanently rectify any deficits by a deadline specified by the FOCA.

Maintenance approvals are issued for an indefinite period. However, maintenance organisations are obliged to notify the FOCA about any changes that could have an influence on the approval before the changes concerned are implemented. While taking account of the respective circumstances and minimum requirements, the FOCA will then specify any conditions or restrictions on the organisation’s continued activity as a maintenance provider.

FOCA supervision for organisations that service aircraft from the US, Canada and Brazil

Swiss maintenance organisations that maintain aircraft registered in the US, Canada or Brazil will no longer require additional supervision by the aviation authorities FAA, TCCA and/or ANAC. The FOCA has signed a BASA-MIP agreement with the FAA, a working arrangement with the TCCA and an MOU with ANAC to this effect.

These agreements will greatly relieve all Swiss maintenance organisations which currently have approval to maintain such aircraft. Not only will they be able to avoid high additional costs and redundant supervision; now the FOCA will conduct the supervisory activities on behalf of the FAA, TCCA and ANAC.

This means significantly less additional work and lower costs for the maintenance organisations. In future, in order to obtain and maintain an FAA, TCCA and/or ANAC certification, maintenance organisations will merely have to comply with European law (EASA Part-145) and with some additional Special Conditions, as listed in the corresponding regulations. The agreements are aligned with those of EASA.

Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements (BASA, Working Arrangement and MOU)

The Agreements are published on the website: "Safety -International affairs - Technical agreements".


Current information

Technik-Flugzeug

Technical news related to aircraft

Collection of general technical news (changes in EASA regulations etc.)

Technische-Mitteilungen

Technical communications

Announcements from the Federal Office of Civil Aviation regarding issues of airworthiness

Further information

Contact

Federal Office of Civil Aviation FOCA

Ronald Meier

ronald.meier@bazl.admin.ch

Print contact

https://www.bazl.admin.ch/content/bazl/en/home/luftfahrzeuge/instandhaltung-an-luftfahrzeugen.html