New Rules Require Continuing Airworthiness Management

Regional Express Airlines has become the first airline to gain an approval under Australia's new maintenance regulations. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has issued Regional Express with a Civil Aviation Safety Regulations Part 42 approval.

Part 42 is a key element of the new maintenance regulations that sets out the continuing airworthiness requirements for aircraft and aeronautical products used in regular public transport. It clearly separates the responsibility for managing continuing airworthiness from the actual conduct of maintenance.

Under Part 42 regular public transport operators are required to establish a continuing airworthiness management organisation. CASA's Director of Aviation Safety, John McCormick, presented Regional Express with their new Part 42 approval on Monday 7 November 2011. He said the first Part 42 approval was an important milestone for aviation safety regulation, CASA and Regional Express. "These new maintenance regulations are clearer and provide certainty about maintenance responsibilities. They are also aligned with internationally recognised standards, which will help Australia's aviation industry complete in the global aviation market.

McCormick said the airline was required to develop an exposition to show CASA how it will manage continuing airworthiness in accordance with Part 42 and this was done successfully. "Now that Regional Express has taken the lead in transitioning to the new regulations I look forward to the successful transition of the rest of Australia's regular public transport operators."

The suite of new maintenance regulations, including Part 42, came into effect in late June 2011. It is expected about 35 operators will transition to Part 42 by June 2013. Part 42 sets out in detail how regular public transport operators will manage continuing airworthiness. This includes requirements for maintenance approvals, airworthiness reviews, requirements for recording and certifying aircraft maintenance, issuing aircraft releases to service and airworthiness tasks to be completed before flights.

FMI: www.casa.gov.au