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Letters of Acceptance

The implementation of P-RNAV is seen by the Agency as a priority and it fully supports any measures that will improve the efficiency of our air transport system. As this requires an improved control of data held in aircraft navigational databases, after consultation of interested parties, the Agency suggested putting in place a voluntary audit system leading to the issuing of a Letter of Acceptance to the European database suppliers based on an investigation by an Agency team. This approach has many similarities with the option chosen by the FAA. Consequently the standards used to verify the compliance of the navigation data suppliers will be the same on both sides of the Atlantic.

This policy is reflected in the Agency Opinion 01/2005 on acceptance of Navigation Database Suppliers resulting from the Notice of Proposed Amendment NPA 03/2004 on guidance material for the certification of production organisations ("GM to Part 21").

A stand alone document was produced which is used for the investigation of navigation database suppliers in Europe and, after satisfactory results, for the issuance of a letter of acceptance.

This document consists of two parts. The first part ("Conditions") is a rewrite of Part 21 Section A Subpart G tailored to the specific case of navigation database suppliers. The second part ("Guidance") provides guidance for the applicants.

For details refer to the document Conditions for the issuance of Letters of Acceptance for navigation database Suppliers by the Agency

Finally, to facilitate the work of the investigation team and to allow for a better preparation by the organisation to be assessed, a compliance checklist in line with the above document is provided.

Conditions for the issuance of letters of acceptance for navigation database suppliers, Compliance Checklist

There are two types of Letters of Acceptance

• Type 1 LOA
  Letter of acceptance granted where a Navigation Database supplier complies with EUROCAE ED-76 / RTCA DO-200A documents with no identified compatibility with an aircraft system. A Type 1 LOA confirms that the processes for producing navigation data comply with these Conditions and the documented Data Quality Requirements. A Type 1 LOA may not release navigation databases directly to end users.
• Type 2 LOA
  Letter of acceptance granted where a Navigation Database supplier complies with EUROCAE ED-76 / RTCA DO-200A documents and provides data compatible with specified avionics system(s). A Type 2 LOA confirms that the processes for producing navigation data comply with these Conditions and the documented Data Quality Requirements for the avionics systems specified. The Data Quality Requirements must be provided by or agreed with the specified equipment design organisation in accordance with a formal arrangement. A Type 2 LOA may release navigation databases directly to end users. Such releases may also include data packing tools, where the use of such tools has been demonstrated to be ED-76/DO-200A compliant. A Type 2 LOA holder may interface directly with data originators (such as State AIP providers and operators), or may use data supplied by a Type 1 LOA in which case interfaces with data originators may not be necessary.

The letter of acceptance does not constitute a mandatory requirement since it is not a mandatory certification attesting compliance with a binding act. The letter of acceptance will not attest that the data produced by these organisations can be used by operators, but that the organisation has put in place an appropriate quality system for the control of the processing of data. This will ease the obligation on the operator to do the same control and facilitate the issuing by the national competent authorities of the approval for the operators to fly in dedicated airspace where reduced separations are implemented. The final responsibility for the approval of operators for P-RNAV operations remains with the National competent authorities.

There is no obligation on operators to buy their data only from organisations holding the letter of acceptance. Operators can either make the verifications themselves or use another competent organisation for this purpose and convince directly their responsible authority that they can be allowed to fly in P-RNAV airspace.

Information on the FAA LOA for Navigational Database suppliers can be found in : AC 20-153A Acceptance of data processes and associated navigation database

Voluntary applications for Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for Navigational Database Suppliers from EU applicants are managed by EASA in accordance with the document Conditions for the issuance of Letters of Acceptance for navigation database Suppliers by the Agency.

For an overview of LOA's issued by EASA refer to: