M.A.601 Scope

Regulation (EU) 2015/1536

This Subpart establishes the requirements to be met by an organisation to qualify for the issue or continuation of an approval for the maintenance of aircraft other than complex motor powered aircraft and components to be installed therein not used by licenced air carriers in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008.

M.A.602 Application

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014

An application for issue or change of a maintenance organisation approval shall be made on a form and in a manner established by the competent authority.

AMC M.A.602 Application

ED Decision 2020/002/R

An application should be made on an EASA Form 2 (Appendix IX to AMC M.A.602 and AMC M.A.702) or equivalent acceptable to the competent authority.

The EASA Form 2 is valid for the application for M.A. Subpart F (refer to Article 4(2)), Part-145, M.A. Subpart G (refer to Article 4(2)), Part-CAMO and Part-CAO organisations. Organisations applying for several approvals may do so by using a single EASA Form 2.

M.A.603 Extent of approval

Regulation (EU) 2019/1383

(a) An organisation involved in activities subject to this Subpart shall not exercise its activities unless approved by the competent authority. To that aim, the competent authority shall use the template set out in Appendix V.

(b) The scope of work subject to approval shall be specified in the maintenance organisation manual in accordance with point M.A.604. Classes and ratings to be used for the approval of maintenance organisations are set out in Appendix IV of this Part.

(c) An approved maintenance organisation may fabricate, in conformity with maintenance data, a restricted range of parts for the use in the course of undergoing work within its own facilities, as identified in the maintenance organisation manual.

AMC M.A.603(a) Extent of Approval

ED Decision 2015/029/R

The following table identifies the ATA Specification 2200 chapter for the category C component rating. If the maintenance manual (or equivalent document) does not follow the ATA Chapters, the corresponding subjects still apply to the applicable C rating.

AMC M.A.603(c) Extent of approval

ED Decision 2015/029/R

1. The agreement by the competent authority for the fabrication of parts by the approved maintenance organisation should be formalised through the approval of a detailed procedure in the maintenance organisation manual. This AMC contains principles and conditions to be taken into account for the preparation of an acceptable procedure.

2. Fabrication, inspection, assembly and test should be clearly within the technical and procedural capability of the approved maintenance organisation.

3. The approved data necessary to fabricate the part are those approved either by the Agency, the TC holder, Part-21 design organisation approval holder, or STC holder.

4. Items fabricated by an approved maintenance organisation may only be used by that organisation in the course of overhaul, maintenance, modifications, or repair of aircraft or components undergoing work within its own facility. The permission to fabricate does not constitute approval for manufacture, or to supply externally and the parts do not qualify for certification on EASA Form 1. This also applies to the bulk transfer or surplus inventory, in that locally fabricated parts are physically segregated and excluded from any delivery certification.

5. Fabrication of parts, modification kits etc. for onward supply and/or sale may not be conducted under a M.A. Subpart F approval.

6. The data specified in paragraph 3 may include repair procedures involving the fabrication of parts. Where the data on such parts is sufficient to facilitate fabrication, the parts may be fabricated by an approved maintenance organisation. Care should be taken to ensure that the data include details of part numbering, dimensions, materials, processes, and any special manufacturing techniques, special raw material specification or/and incoming inspection requirement and that the approved organisation has the necessary capability. That capability should be defined by way of maintenance organisation manual content. Where special processes or inspection procedures are defined in the approved data which are not available at the approved maintenance organisation, that organisation cannot fabricate the part unless the TC/STC holder gives an approved alternative.

7. Examples of fabrication under the scope of an M.A. Subpart F approval can include but are not limited to the following:

(a) fabrication of bushes, sleeves and shims,

(b) fabrication of secondary structural elements and skin panels,

(c) fabrication of control cables,

(d) fabrication of flexible and rigid pipes,

(e) fabrication of electrical cable looms and assemblies,

(f) formed or machined sheet metal panels for repairs.

Note: It is not acceptable to fabricate any item to pattern unless an engineering drawing of the item is produced which includes any necessary fabrication processes and which is accepted to the competent authority.

8. Where a TC holder or an approved production organisation is prepared to make available complete data which is not referred to in aircraft manuals or service bulletins but provides manufacturing drawings for items specified in parts lists, the fabrication of these items is not considered to be within the scope of an M.A. Subpart F approval unless agreed otherwise by the competent authority in accordance with a procedure specified in the maintenance organisation manual.

9. Inspection and Identification.

Any locally fabricated part should be subject to an inspection stage before, separately, and preferably independently from, any inspection of its installation. The inspection should establish full compliance with the relevant manufacturing data, and the part should be unambiguously identified as fit for use by stating conformity to the approved data. Adequate records should be maintained of all such fabrication processes including heat treatment and the final inspections. All parts, excepting those with inadequate space, should carry a part number which clearly relates it to the manufacturing/inspection data. Additional to the part number the approved maintenance organisation’s identity should be marked on the part for traceability purposes.

M.A.604 Maintenance organisation manual

Regulation (EU) 2020/270

(a) The maintenance organisation shall provide a manual containing at least the following information:

1. a statement signed by the accountable manager appointed in accordance with point M.A.606, point (a) which confirms that the organisation will at all times carry out its activities in accordance with the requirements of this Annex (Part-M) or Annex Vb (Part-ML), as applicable, and with the manual;

2. the organisation's scope of work, and;

3. the title(s) and name(s) of person(s) referred to in point M.A.606(b), and;

4. an organisation chart showing associated chains of responsibility between the person(s) referred to in point M.A.606(b), and;

5. a list of certifying staff and, if applicable, airworthiness review staff, with their scope of approval, and;

6. a list of locations where maintenance is carried out, together with a general description of the facilities, and;

7. procedures specifying how the maintenance organisation ensures compliance with this Part, and;

8. the maintenance organisation manual amendment procedure(s).

(b) The maintenance organisation manual and its amendments shall be approved by the competent authority.

(c) Notwithstanding point (b) minor amendments to the manual may be approved through a procedure (hereinafter called indirect approval).

AMC M.A.604 Maintenance organisation manual

ED Decision 2015/029/R

1. Appendix IV to this AMC provides an outline of the format of an acceptable maintenance organisation manual for a small organisation with less than 10 maintenance staff.

2. The maintenance organisation exposition as specified in Part-145 provides an outline of the format of an acceptable maintenance organisation manual for larger organisations with more than 10 maintenance staff, dependent upon the complexity of the organisation.

M.A.605 Facilities

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014

The organisation shall ensure that:

(a) Facilities are provided for all planned work, specialised workshops and bays are segregated as appropriate, to ensure protection from contamination and the environment.

(b) Office accommodation is provided for the management of all planned work including in particular, the completion of maintenance records.

(c) Secure storage facilities are provided for components, equipment, tools and material. Storage conditions shall ensure segregation of unserviceable components and material from all other components, material, equipment and tools. Storage conditions shall be in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions and access shall be restricted to authorised personnel.

AMC M.A.605(a) Facilities

ED Decision 2020/002/R

1. Where a hangar is not owned by the M.A. Subpart F organisation, it may be necessary to establish proof of tenancy. In addition, sufficiency of hangar space to carry out planned maintenance should be demonstrated by the preparation of a projected aircraft hangar visit plan relative to the aircraft maintenance programme. The aircraft hangar visit plan should be updated on a regular basis.

For balloons and airships, a hangar may not be required where maintenance of the envelope and bottom end equipment can more appropriately be performed outside, providing all necessary maintenance can be accomplished in accordance with M.A.402 or ML.A.402. For complex repairs or component maintenance requiring an EASA Form 1, suitable approved workshops should be provided. The facilities and environmental conditions required for inspection and maintenance should be defined in the Maintenance Organisation Manual.

Depending on the scope of work of the maintenance organisation, it may not be necessary to have a hangar available. For example, an organisation maintaining ELA2 aircraft (when not performing major repairs) may perform the work in alternative suitable facilities (and possibly at remote locations) as agreed by the competent authority.

2. Protection from the weather elements relates to the normal prevailing local weather elements that are expected throughout any twelve-month period. Aircraft hangar and aircraft component workshop structures should be to a standard that prevents the ingress of rain, hail, ice, snow, wind and dust etc. Aircraft hangar and aircraft component workshop floors should be sealed to minimise dust generation.

3. Aircraft maintenance staff should be provided with an area where they may study maintenance instructions and complete continuing airworthiness records in a proper manner.

4. Special case for ELA2 aircraft

For ELA2 aircraft, it is acceptable not to have access to a hangar or dedicated workshops. Depending on the scope of work, other facilities are acceptable as long as protection is ensured from inclement weather and contamination. This may include, for example, working in the field or in non-aviation premises (closed or not).

These facilities do not need to be individually approved by the competent authority as long as the maintenance organisation manual describes for each type of facility the scope of work, the tooling and equipment available, and the permitted environmental conditions (weather, contamination).

The organisation should include, as part of the periodic internal organisational review, a sampling of the compliance with these conditions during certain maintenance events.

AMC M.A.605(b) Facilities

ED Decision 2015/029/R

It is acceptable to combine any or all of the office accommodation requirements into one office subject to the staff having sufficient room to carry out assigned tasks.

AMC M.A.605(c) Facilities

ED Decision 2020/002/R

1. Storage facilities for serviceable aircraft components should be clean, well-ventilated and maintained at an even dry temperature to minimise the effects of condensation. Manufacturer’s storage recommendations should be followed for those aircraft components identified in such published recommendations.

2. Adequate storage racks should be provided and strong enough to hold aircraft components and provide sufficient support for large aircraft components such that the component is not damaged during storage.

3. All aircraft components, wherever practicable, should remain packaged in their protective material to minimise damage and corrosion during storage. A shelf life control system should be utilised and identity tags used to identify components.

4. Segregation means storing unserviceable components in a separate secured location from serviceable components.

5. Segregation and management of any unserviceable component should be ensured according to the pertinent procedure approved to that organisation.

6. Procedures should be defined by the organisation describing the decision process for the status of unserviceable components. This procedure should identify at least the following:

               role and responsibilities of the persons managing the decision process;

               description of the decision process to choose between maintaining, storing or mutilating a component;

               traceability of decision.

7. Once unserviceable components or materials have been identified as unsalvageable in accordance with M.A.501(a)(3) or ML.A.504(c), the organisation should establish secure areas in which to segregate such items and to prevent unauthorised access. Unsalvageable components should be managed through a procedure to ensure that these components receive the appropriate final disposal according to M.A.504(b) or ML.A.504(d) or (e). The person responsible for the implementation of this procedure should be identified.

M.A.606 Personnel requirements

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014

(a) The organisation shall appoint an accountable manager, who has corporate authority for ensuring that all maintenance required by the customer can be financed and carried out to the standard required by this Part.

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014

(b) A person or group of persons shall be nominated with the responsibility of ensuring that the organisation is always in compliance with this Subpart. Such person(s) shall be ultimately responsible to the accountable manager.

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014

(c) All point (b) persons shall be able to show relevant knowledge, background and appropriate experience related to aircraft and/or component maintenance.

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014

(d) The organisation shall have appropriate staff for the normal expected contracted work. The use of temporarily sub-contracted staff is permitted in the case of higher than normally expected contracted work and only for personnel not issuing a certificate of release to service.

Regulation (EU) 2020/270

(e) The qualification of all personnel involved in maintenance and airworthiness reviews shall be demonstrated and recorded.

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014

(f) Personnel who carry out specialised tasks such as welding, non-destructive testing/inspection other than colour contrast shall be qualified in accordance with an officially recognised standard.

Regulation (EU) 2018/1142

(g) The maintenance organisation shall have sufficient certifying staff to issue certificates of release to service for aircraft and components provided for in points M.A.612 and M.A.613. The staff shall comply with the following requirements:

1. Annex III (Part-66) in the case of aircraft;

2. Article 5(6) of this Regulation in the case of components.

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014

(h) By derogation from point (g), the organisation may use certifying staff qualified in accordance with the following provisions when providing maintenance support to operators involved in commercial operations, subject to appropriate procedures to be approved as part of the organisation's manual:

1. For a repetitive pre-flight airworthiness directive which specifically states that the flight crew may carry out such airworthiness directive, the organisation may issue a limited certifying staff authorisation to the aircraft commander on the basis of the flight crew licence held, provided that the organisation ensures that sufficient practical training has been carried out to ensure that such person can accomplish the airworthiness directive to the required standard;

2. In the case of aircraft operating away from a supported location the organisation may issue a limited certifying staff authorisation to the aircraft commander on the basis of the flight crew licence, provided that the organisation ensures that sufficient practical training has been carried out to ensure that such person can accomplish the task to the required standard.

Regulation (EU) 2020/270

(i) If the organisation performs airworthiness reviews and issues the corresponding airworthiness review certificate for ELA1 aircraft not involved in commercial operations in accordance with point ML.A.903 of Annex Vb (Part-ML), it shall have airworthiness review staff qualified and authorised meeting all of the following requirements:

1. shall hold a certifying staff authorisation for the corresponding aircraft;

2. shall have at least three years of experience as certifying staff;

3. shall be independent from the continuing airworthiness management process of the aircraft being reviewed or shall have overall authority on the continuing airworthiness management process of the complete aircraft being reviewed;

4. shall have acquired knowledge of Subpart C of this Annex (Part-M) or Subpart C of Annex Vb (Part-ML);

5. shall have acquired proven knowledge of the procedures of the maintenance organisation relevant to the airworthiness review and issue of the airworthiness review certificate;

6. shall have been formally accepted by the competent authority after having performed an airworthiness review under the supervision of the competent authority or under the supervision of the organisation's airworthiness review staff in accordance with a procedure approved by the competent authority;

7. shall have performed at least one airworthiness review in the last twelve-month period.

AMC M.A.606(a) Personnel requirements

ED Decision 2015/029/R

With regard to the accountable manager, it is normally intended to mean the chief executive officer of the maintenance organisation approved under M.A. Subpart F, who by virtue of position has overall (including in particular financial) responsibility for running the organisation. The accountable manager may be the accountable manager for more than one organisation and is not required to be necessarily knowledgeable on technical matters. When the accountable manager is not the chief executive officer, the competent authority will need to be assured that such an accountable manager has direct access to chief executive officer and has a sufficiency of maintenance funding allocation.

AMC M.A.606(b) Personnel requirements

ED Decision 2015/029/R

1. Dependent upon the size of the organisation, the functions may be subdivided under individual managers or combined in any number of ways.

2. The maintenance organisation should have, dependent upon the extent of approval, an aircraft maintenance manager, a workshop manager all of whom should report to the accountable manager. In small maintenance organisations any manager may also be the accountable manager, and may also be the aircraft maintenance manager or the workshop manager.

3. The aircraft maintenance manager is responsible for ensuring that all maintenance required to be carried out, plus any defect rectification carried out during aircraft maintenance, is carried out to the design and quality standards specified in this Part. The aircraft maintenance manager is also responsible for any corrective action resulting from the M.A.616 organisational review.

4. The workshop manager is responsible for ensuring that all work on aircraft components is carried out to the standards specified in this Part and also responsible for any corrective action resulting from the M.A.616 organisational review.

5. Notwithstanding the example sub-paragraphs 2 - 4 titles, the organisation may adopt any title for the foregoing managerial positions but should identify to the competent authority the titles and persons chosen to carry out these functions.

AMC M.A.606(c) Personnel requirements

ED Decision 2020/002/R

1. All nominated persons should, in the normal way, be expected to satisfy the competent authority that they possess the appropriate experience and qualifications which are listed in paragraphs 2.1 to 2.5 below.

2. All nominated persons should have:

2.1. practical experience and expertise in the application of aviation safety standards and safe maintenance practices;

2.2. comprehensive knowledge of:

(a) Part-M and Part-ML, as applicable, and any associated requirements and procedures;

(b) the maintenance organisation manual;

2.3. five years aviation experience of which at least three years should be practical maintenance experience;

2.4. knowledge of the relevant type(s) of aircraft or components maintained. This knowledge may be demonstrated by documented evidence or by an assessment performed by the competent authority. This assessment should be recorded.

Training courses should be as a minimum at a level equivalent to Part-66 Appendix III Level 1 General Familiarisation, and could be imparted by a Part-147 organisation, by the manufacturer, or by any other organisation accepted by the competent authority.

2.5. knowledge of maintenance standards.

AMC M.A.606(d) Personnel requirements

ED Decision 2015/029/R

1. All staff are subjected to compliance with the organisation’s procedures specified in the maintenance organisation manual relevant to their duties.

2. To have sufficient staff means that the approved maintenance organisation employs or contracts staff directly, even on a volunteer basis, for the anticipated maintenance workload.

3. Temporarily sub-contracted means the person is employed by another organisation and contracted by that organisation to the approved maintenance organisation.

AMC M.A.606(e) Personnel requirements

ED Decision 2015/029/R

1. Personnel involved in maintenance should be assessed for competence by 'on the job' evaluation and/or by examination relevant to their particular job role within the organisation before unsupervised work is permitted.

2. Adequate initial and recurrent training should be provided and recorded to ensure continued competence.

AMC M.A.606(f) Personnel requirements

ED Decision 2021/009/R

1. Non-destructive testing means such testing specified by the type certificate holder of the aircraft, engine or propeller in the M.A.401(b) or ML.A.401(b) maintenance data for in service aircraft/aircraft components for the purpose of determining the continued fitness of the product to operate safely.

2. Appropriately qualified means to level 1, 2 or 3 as defined by European Standard EN 4179 dependent upon the non-destructive testing function to be carried out.

3.  Notwithstanding the fact that level 3 personnel may be qualified via EN 4179 to establish and authorise methods, techniques, etc., this does not permit such personnel to deviate from methods and techniques published in the maintenance data, unless the maintenance data expressly permits such deviation.

4. Notwithstanding the general references in EN 4179 to a national aerospace NDT board, all examinations should be conducted by personnel or organisations under the general control of such a board. In the absence of a national aerospace NDT board, examinations should be conducted by personnel or organisations under the general control of the NDT board of a Member State designated by the competent authority.

5. Particular non-destructive test means any one or more of the following: dye penetrant, magnetic particle, eddy current, ultrasonic and radiographic methods including X ray and gamma ray.

6. In addition it should be noted that new methods are and will be developed, such as, but not limited to thermography and shearography, which are not specifically addressed by EN 4179. Until such time as an agreed standard is established such methods should be carried out in accordance with the particular equipment manufacturers’ recommendations including any training and examination process to ensure competence of the personnel with the process.

7. Any approved maintenance organisation that carries out continued airworthiness non-destructive testing should establish qualification procedures for non-destructive testing.

8. Boroscoping and other techniques such as delamination coin tapping are non-destructive inspections rather than non-destructive testing. Notwithstanding such differentiation, approved maintenance organisation should establish a procedure to ensure that personnel who carry out and interpret such inspections are properly trained and assessed for their competence with the process. Non-destructive inspections, not being considered as non-destructive testing by M.A. Subpart F are not listed in Appendix IV to Part-M under class rating D1.

9. The referenced standards, methods, training and procedures should be specified in the maintenance organisation manual.

10. Any such personnel who intend to carry out and/or control a non-destructive test for which they were not qualified prior to the effective date of Part-M should qualify for such non-destructive test in accordance with EN 4179.

In this context officially recognised standard means those standards established or published by an official body whether having legal personality or not, which are widely recognised by the air transport sector as constituting good practice.

AMC M.A.606(h)(2) Personnel requirements

ED Decision 2015/029/R

1. For the issue of a limited certification authorisation the commander should hold either a valid air transport pilot license (ATPL), or commercial pilots license (CPL). In addition, the limited certification authorisation is subject to the maintenance organisation manual containing procedures to address the following:

(a) Completion of adequate airworthiness regulation training.

(b) Completion of adequate task training for the specific task on the aircraft. The task training should be of sufficient duration to ensure that the individual has a thorough understanding of the task to be completed and should involve training in the use of associated maintenance data.

(c) Completion of the procedural training.

The above procedures should be specified in the maintenance organisation manual and be accepted by the competent authority.

2. Typical tasks that may be certified and/or carried out by the commander holding an ATPL or CPL are minor maintenance or simple checks included in the following list:

(a) Replacement of internal lights, filaments and flash tubes.

(b) Closing of cowlings and refitment of quick access inspection panels.

(c) Role changes, e.g., stretcher fit, dual controls, FLIR, doors, photographic equipment etc.

(d) Inspection for and removal of de-icing/anti-icing fluid residues, including removal/closure of panels, cowls or covers that are easily accessible but not requiring the use of special tools.

(e) Any check/replacement involving simple techniques consistent with this AMC and as agreed by the competent authority.

3. The authorisation should have a finite life of twelve months subject to satisfactory recurrent training on the applicable aircraft type.

M.A.607 Certifying staff and airworthiness review staff

Regulation (EU) 2019/1383

(a) In addition to point M.A.606(g), certifying staff can only exercise their privileges, if the organisation has ensured:

1. that certifying staff can demonstrate that they meet the requirements of point (b) of point 66.A.20 of Annex III (Part-66) or, where that Annex so requires, the requirements of the law of the Member State;

2. that certifying staff have an adequate understanding of the relevant aircraft and/or aircraft component(s) to be maintained together with the associated organisation procedures.

Regulation (EU) 2015/1088

(b) In the following unforeseen cases, where an aircraft is grounded at a location other than the main base where no appropriate certifying staff is available, the maintenance organisation contracted to provide maintenance support may issue a one-off certification authorisation:

1. to one of its employees holding type qualifications on aircraft of similar technology, construction and systems; or

2. to any person with not less than three years maintenance experience and holding a valid ICAO aircraft maintenance licence rated for the aircraft type requiring certification provided there is no organisation appropriately approved under this Part at that location and the contracted organisation obtains and holds on file evidence of the experience and the licence of that person.

All such cases must be reported to the competent authority within seven days after issuing such certification authorisation. The approved maintenance organisation issuing the one-off certification authorisation shall ensure that any such maintenance that could affect flight safety is re-checked.

Regulation (EU) 2015/1088

(c) The approved maintenance organisation shall record all details concerning certifying staff and airworthiness review staff and maintain a current list of all certifying staff and airworthiness review staff together with their scope of approval as part of the organisation's manual pursuant to point M.A.604(a)5.

AMC M.A.607 Certifying staff and airworthiness review staff

ED Decision 2015/029/R

1. Adequate understanding of the relevant aircraft and/or aircraft component(s) to be maintained together with the associated organisation procedures means that the person has received training and has relevant maintenance experience on the product type and associated organisation procedures such that the person understands how the product functions, what are the more common defects with associated consequences.

2. All prospective certifying staff are required to be assessed for competence, qualification and capability related to intended certifying duties. Competence and capability can be assessed by having the person work under the supervision of another certifying person for sufficient time to arrive at a conclusion. Sufficient time could be as little as a few weeks if the person is fully exposed to relevant work. The person need not be assessed against the complete spectrum of intended duties. When the person has been recruited from another approved maintenance organisation and was a certifying person in that organisation then it is reasonable to accept a written confirmation from the previous organisation.

3. The organisation should hold copies of all documents that attest to qualification, and to recent experience.

AMC M.A.607(c) Certifying staff and airworthiness review staff

ED Decision 2020/002/R

1. The following minimum information as applicable should be kept on record in respect of each certifying person:

(a) name;

(b) date of birth;

(c) basic training;

(d) type training;

(e) recurrent training;

(f) specialised training;

(g) experience;

(h) qualifications relevant to the approval;

(i) scope of the authorisation and personal authorisation reference;

(j) date of first issue of the authorisation;

(k) if appropriate - expiry date of the authorisation.

2. The following minimum information, as applicable, should be kept on record in respect of each airworthiness review person:

(a) name;

(b) date of birth;

(c) certifying staff authorisation;

(d) experience as certifying staff on ELA1 aircraft;

(e) qualifications relevant to the approval (knowledge of relevant parts of Part-ML and knowledge of the relevant airworthiness review procedures);

(f) scope of the airworthiness review authorisation and personal authorisation reference;

(g) date of the first issue of the airworthiness review authorisation; and

(h) if appropriate, expiry date of the airworthiness review authorisation.

3. Persons authorised to access the system should be maintained at a minimum to ensure that records cannot be altered in an unauthorised manner or that such confidential records become accessible to unauthorised persons.

4. The competent authority should be granted access to the records upon request.

M.A.608 Components, equipment and tools

Regulation (EU) 2018/1142

(a) The organisation shall:

1. hold the equipment and tools specified in the maintenance data described in point M.A.609 or verified equivalents as listed in the maintenance organisation manual as necessary for day-to-day maintenance within the scope of the approval; and,

2. demonstrate that it has access to all other equipment and tools used only on an occasional basis.

(b) Tools and equipment shall be controlled and calibrated to an officially recognised standard. Records of such calibrations and the standard used shall be kept by the organisation.

(c) The organisation shall inspect, classify and appropriately segregate all incoming components, standard parts and materials.

AMC M.A.608(a) Components, equipment and tools

ED Decision 2015/029/R

1. Once the applicant for M.A. Subpart F approval has determined the intended scope of approval for consideration by the competent authority, it will be necessary to show that all tools and equipment as specified in the maintenance data can be made available when needed.

2. All such tools should be clearly identified and listed in a control register including any personal tools and equipment that the organisation agrees can be used.

3. For tools required on an occasional basis, the organisation should ensure that they are controlled in terms of servicing or calibration as required.

AMC M.A.608(b) Components, equipment and tools

ED Decision 2015/029/R

1. The control of these tools and equipment requires that the organisation has a procedure to inspect/service and, where appropriate, calibrate such items on a regular basis and indicate to users that the item is within any inspection or service or calibration time-limit. A clear system of labelling all tooling, equipment and test equipment is therefore necessary giving information on when the next inspection or service or calibration is due and if the item is unserviceable for any other reason where it may not be obvious. A register should be maintained for all the organisation’s precision tooling and equipment together with a record of calibrations and standards used.

2. Inspection, service or calibration on a regular basis should be in accordance with the equipment manufacturers' instructions except where the M.A. Subpart F organisation can show by results that a different time period is appropriate in a particular case.

3. In this context officially recognised standard means those standards established or published by an official body whether having legal personality or not, which are widely recognised by the air transport sector as constituting good practice.

M.A.609 Maintenance data

Regulation (EU) 2019/1383

The approved maintenance organisation shall hold and use applicable current maintenance data specified in point M.A.401 of this Annex or in point ML.A.401 of Annex Vb (Part-ML), as applicable, in the performance of maintenance, including modifications and repairs. However, in the case of customer-provided maintenance data, the organisation shall only hold and use such data when the maintenance work is in progress.

AMC M.A.609 Maintenance Data

ED Decision 2015/029/R

When an organisation uses customer provided maintenance data, the scope of approval indicated in the maintenance organisation manual should be limited to the individual aircraft covered by the contracts signed with those customers unless the organisation also holds its own complete set of maintenance data for that type of aircraft.

M.A.610 Maintenance work orders

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014

Before the commencement of maintenance a written work order shall be agreed between the organisation and the organisation requesting maintenance to clearly establish the maintenance to be carried out.

AMC M.A.610 Maintenance work orders

ED Decision 2015/029/R

‘A written work order’ may take the form of, but not limited to, the following:

               A formal document or form specifying the work to be carried out. This form may be provided by the continuing airworthiness management organisation managing the aircraft, or by the maintenance organisation undertaking the work, or by the owner/operator himself;

               An entry in the aircraft log book specifying the defect that needs to be corrected.

M.A.611 Maintenance standards

Regulation (EU) 2019/1383

All maintenance shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements of Subpart D, Section A of this Annex or with the requirements of Subpart D, Section A of Annex Vb (Part-ML), as set out in Article 3 paragraph 1.

M.A.612 Aircraft certificate of release to service

Regulation (EU) 2019/1383

Upon completion of all required aircraft maintenance in accordance with this Subpart, an aircraft CRS shall be issued in accordance with point M.A.801 of this Annex or point ML.A.801 of Annex Vb (Part-ML), as set out in Article 3 paragraph 1.

M.A.613 Component certificate of release to service

Regulation (EU) 2019/1383

(a) Upon completion of all required component maintenance in accordance with this Subpart, a component CRS shall be issued in accordance with point M.A.802 of this Annex or with point ML.A.802 of Annex Vb (Part-ML), as applicable. An EASA Form 1 shall be issued, except for those components maintained in accordance with points (b) or (d) of point M.A.502, for components fabricated in accordance with point (c) of point M.A.603 of this Annex and for components in respect of which point ML.A.502 of Annex Vb (Part-ML) provides otherwise.

(b) The component CRS document, EASA Form 1, may be generated from a computer system.

AMC M.A.613(a) Component certificate of release to service

ED Decision 2020/002/R

1. An aircraft component which has been maintained off the aircraft requires the issuance of a CRS for such maintenance and another CRS in regard to being installed properly on the aircraft when such action occurs. When an organisation maintains a component for use by the same organisation, an EASA Form 1 may not be necessary depending upon the organisation’s internal release procedures defined in the maintenance organisation exposition.

2. In the case of components in storage prior to Part-145, Part-M and Part-21 and not released on an EASA Form 1 or equivalent in accordance with M.A.501(a) or removed serviceable from a serviceable aircraft which have been withdrawn from service, this paragraph provides additional guidance regarding the conditions under which an EASA Form 1 may be issued.

2.1. An EASA Form 1 may be issued for an aircraft component which has been:

               Maintained before Part-145, or Part-M became effective or manufactured before Part-21 became effective.

               Used on an aircraft and removed in a serviceable condition. Examples include leased and loaned aircraft components.

               Removed from aircraft which have been withdrawn from service, or from aircraft which have been involved in abnormal occurrences such as accidents, incidents, heavy landings or lightning strikes.

               Components maintained by an unapproved organisation.

2.2. An appropriately rated M.A. Subpart F maintenance organisation may issue an EASA Form 1 as detailed in this AMC subparagraph 2.5 to 2.9, as appropriate, in accordance with the procedures detailed in the manual as approved by the competent authority. The appropriately rated M.A. Subpart F maintenance organisation is responsible for ensuring that all reasonable measures have been taken to ensure that only approved and serviceable aircraft components are issued an EASA Form 1 under this paragraph.

2.3. For the purposes of this paragraph 2 only, ‘appropriately rated’ means an organisation with an approval class rating for the type of component or for the product in which it may be installed.

2.4. An EASA Form 1 issued in accordance with this paragraph 2 should be issued by signing in block 14b and stating ‘Inspected/Tested’ in block 11. In addition, block 12 should specify:

2.4.1. when the last maintenance was carried out and by whom;

2.4.2. if the component is unused, when the component was manufactured and by whom with a cross-reference to any original documentation which should be included with the Form;

2.4.3. a list of all ADs, repairs and modifications known to have been incorporated. If no ADs or repairs or modifications are known to be incorporated then this should be so stated;

2.4.4. detail of life used for life-limited parts and time-controlled components being any combination of fatigue, overhaul or storage life;

2.4.5. for any aircraft component having its own maintenance history record, reference to the particular maintenance history record as long as the record contains the details that would otherwise be required in block 12. The maintenance history record and acceptance test report or statement, if applicable, should be attached to the EASA Form 1.

2.5. New/unused aircraft components

2.5.1. Any unused aircraft component in storage without an EASA Form 1 up to the effective date(s) for Part-21 that was manufactured by an organisation acceptable to the competent authority at the time may be issued an EASA Form 1 by an appropriately rated maintenance organisation approved under M.A. Subpart F. The EASA Form 1 should be issued in accordance with the following subparagraphs which should be included in a procedure within the maintenance organisation manual.

Note 1: It should be understood that the release of a stored but unused aircraft component in accordance with this paragraph represents a maintenance release under M.A. Subpart F and not a production release under Part-21. It is not intended to bypass the production release procedure agreed by the Member State for parts and subassemblies intended for fitment on the manufacturers own production line.

(a) An acceptance test report or statement should be available for all used and unused aircraft components that are subject to acceptance testing after manufacturing or maintenance as appropriate.

(b) The aircraft component should be inspected for compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions and limitations for storage and condition including any requirement for limited storage life, inhibitors, controlled climate and special storage containers. In addition, or in the absence of specific storage instructions, the aircraft component should be inspected for damage, corrosion and leakage to ensure good condition.

(c) The storage life used of any storage life-limited parts should be established.

2.5.2. If it is not possible to establish satisfactory compliance with all applicable conditions specified in subparagraph 2.5.1 (a) to (c) inclusive, the aircraft component should be disassembled by an appropriately rated organisation and subjected to a check for incorporated ADs, repairs and modifications and inspected/tested in accordance with the maintenance data to establish satisfactory condition and, if relevant, all seals, lubricants and life-limited parts replaced. Upon satisfactory completion after reassembly, an EASA Form 1 may be issued stating what was carried out and the reference to the maintenance data included.

2.6. Used aircraft components removed from a serviceable aircraft.

2.6.1. Serviceable aircraft components removed from a Member State registered aircraft may be issued an EASA Form 1 by an appropriately rated organisation subject to compliance with this subparagraph.

(a) The organisation should ensure that the component was removed from the aircraft by an appropriately qualified person.

(b) The aircraft component may only be deemed serviceable if the last flight operation with the component fitted revealed no faults on that component or related system.

(c) The aircraft component should be inspected for satisfactory condition including in particular damage, corrosion or leakage and compliance with any additional maintenance data.

(d) The aircraft record should be researched for any unusual events that could affect the serviceability of the aircraft component such as involvement in accidents, incidents, heavy landings or lightning strikes. Under no circumstances may an EASA Form 1 be issued in accordance with this paragraph 2.6 if it is suspected that the aircraft component has been subjected to extremes of stress, temperatures or immersion which could affect its operation.

(e) A maintenance history record should be available for all used serialised aircraft components.

(f) Compliance with known modifications and repairs should be established.

(g) The flight hours/cycles/landings as applicable of any life-limited parts and time-controlled components including time since overhaul should be established.

(h) Compliance with known applicable airworthiness directives should be established.

(i) Subject to satisfactory compliance with this subparagraph 2.6.1, an EASA Form 1 may be issued and should contain the information as specified in paragraph 2.4 including the aircraft from which the aircraft component was removed.

2.6.2. Serviceable aircraft components removed from a non-Member State registered aircraft may only be issued an EASA Form 1 if the components are leased or loaned from the maintenance organisation approved under M.A. Subpart F who retains control of the airworthiness status of the components. An EASA Form 1 may be issued and should contain the information as specified in paragraph 2.4 including the aircraft from which the aircraft component was removed.

2.7. Used aircraft components removed from an aircraft withdrawn from service. Serviceable aircraft components removed from a Member State registered aircraft withdrawn from service may be issued an EASA Form 1 by a maintenance organisation approved under M.A. Subpart F subject to compliance with this subparagraph.

(a) Aircraft withdrawn from service are sometimes dismantled for spares. This is considered to be a maintenance activity and should be accomplished under the control of an organisation approved under M.A. Subpart F, employing procedures approved by the competent authority.

(b) To be eligible for installation, components removed from such aircraft may be issued with an EASA Form 1 by an appropriately rated organisation following a satisfactory assessment.

(c) As a minimum, the assessment will need to satisfy the standards set out in paragraphs 2.5 and 2.6 as appropriate. This should, where known, include the possible need for the alignment of scheduled maintenance that may be necessary to comply with the maintenance programme applicable to the aircraft on which the component is to be installed.

(d) Irrespective of whether the aircraft holds a certificate of airworthiness or not, the organisation responsible for certifying any removed component should satisfy itself that the manner in which the components were removed and stored are compatible with the standards required by M.A. Subpart F.

(e) A structured plan should be formulated to control the aircraft disassembly process. The disassembly is to be carried out by an appropriately rated organisation under the supervision of certifying staff, who will ensure that the aircraft components are removed and documented in a structured manner in accordance with the appropriate maintenance data and disassembly plan.

(f) All recorded aircraft defects should be reviewed and the possible effects these may have on both normal and standby functions of removed components are to be considered.

(g) Dedicated control documentation is to be used as detailed by the disassembly plan, to facilitate the recording of all maintenance actions and component removals performed during the disassembly process. Components found to be unserviceable are to be identified as such and quarantined pending a decision on the actions to be taken. Records of the maintenance accomplished to establish serviceability are to form part of the component maintenance history.

(h) Suitable M.A. Subpart F facilities for the removal and storage of removed components are to be used which include suitable environmental conditions, lighting, access equipment, aircraft tooling and storage facilities for the work to be undertaken. While it may be acceptable for components to be removed, given local environmental conditions, without the benefit of an enclosed facility subsequent disassembly (if required) and storage of the components should be in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

2.8. Used aircraft components maintained by organisations not approved in accordance with M.A Subpart F, Part-145 or Part-CAO.

For used components maintained by a maintenance organisation not approved under Part-M Subpart F or Part-145, due care should be taken before acceptance of such components. In such cases an appropriately rated maintenance organisation approved under M.A. Subpart F should establish satisfactory conditions by:

(a) dismantling the component for sufficient inspection in accordance with the appropriate maintenance data,

(b) replacing of all life-limited parts and time-controlled components when no satisfactory evidence of life used is available and/or the components are in an unsatisfactory condition,

(c) reassembling and testing as necessary the component,

(d) completing all certification requirements as specified in M.A.613.

In the case of used components maintained by an FAA Part-145 repair station (USA) or by TCCA CAR573 approved maintenance organisations (Canada) that does not hold an EASA Part-145 or M.A. Subpart F approval, the conditions (a) through (d) described above may be replaced by the following conditions:

(a) availability of an 8130-3 (FAA) or TCCA 24-0078 (TCCA) or an Authorized Release Certificate Form One (TCCA),

(b) verification of compliance with all applicable airworthiness directives,

(c) verification that the component does not contain repairs or modifications that have not been approved in accordance with Part-21,

(d) inspection for satisfactory condition including in particular damage, corrosion or leakage,

(e) issuance of an EASA Form 1 in compliance with paragraphs 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4.

These alleviated requirements are based on the fact that credit can be taken for their technical capabilities and their competent authority oversight, as attested by the following documents:

               Maintenance Annex Guidance (MAG) between the FAA and EASA,

               Maintenance Annex Guidance (MAG) between the EASA and TCCA.

2.9. Used aircraft components removed from an aircraft involved in an accident or incident. Such components should only be issued with an EASA Form 1 when processed in accordance with paragraph 2.7 and a specific work order including all additional necessary tests and inspections made necessary by the accident or incident. Such a work order may require input from the TC holder or original manufacturer as appropriate. This work order should be referenced in block 12.

3. A certificate should not be issued for any component when it is known that the component is unserviceable except in the case of a component undergoing a series of maintenance processes at several approved maintenance organisations and the component needs a certificate for the previous maintenance process carried out for the next approved maintenance organisation to accept the component for subsequent maintenance processes. In such a case, a clear statement of limitation should be endorsed in block.

4. The certificate is to be used for export/import purposes, as well as for domestic purposes, and serves as an official certificate for components from the manufacturer/maintenance organisation to users. It should only be issued by organisations approved by a competent authority or the Agency as applicable within the scope of the approval.

M.A.614 Maintenance and airworthiness review records

Regulation (EU) 2020/270

(a) The approved maintenance organisation shall record all details of work carried out. Records necessary to prove all requirements have been met for the issue of the certificate of release to service including the subcontractor's release documents and for the issue of any airworthiness review certificate shall be retained.

(b) The approved maintenance organisation shall provide a copy of each CRS to the aircraft owner or operator, together with a copy of any detailed maintenance records associated with the work carried out and necessary to demonstrate compliance with point M.A.305 of this Annex (Part-M) or ML.A.305 of Annex Vb (Part-ML), as applicable.

(c) The approved maintenance organisation shall retain a copy of all maintenance records and any associated maintenance data for three years from the date the aircraft or aircraft component to which the work relates was released from the approved maintenance organisation. In addition, it shall retain a copy of all the records related to the issue of airworthiness review certificates for three years from the date of issue and shall provide a copy of them to the owner of the aircraft.

1. The records under this point shall be stored in a manner that ensures protection from damage, alteration, and theft.

2. All computer hardware used to ensure backup shall be stored in a different location from that containing the working data in an environment that ensures they remain in good condition.

3. Where an approved maintenance organisation terminates its operation, all retained maintenance records covering the last three years shall be distributed to the last owner or customer of the respective aircraft or component or shall be stored as specified by the competent authority.

AMC M.A.614(a) Maintenance and airworthiness review records

ED Decision 2020/002/R

1. Properly executed and retained records provide owners, operators and maintenance personnel with information essential in controlling unscheduled and scheduled maintenance, and troubleshooting to eliminate the need for re-inspection and rework to establish airworthiness.

2. The prime objective is to have secure and easily retrievable records with comprehensive and legible contents. The aircraft record should contain basic details of all serialised aircraft components and all other significant aircraft components installed, to ensure traceability to such installed aircraft component documentation, associated maintenance data and data for modifications and repairs.

3. The maintenance record can be either a paper or computer system or any combination of both. The records should remain legible throughout the required retention period.

4. Paper systems should use robust material which can withstand normal handling and filing.

5. Computer systems may be used to control maintenance and/or record details of maintenance work carried out. Computer systems used for maintenance should have at least one backup system which should be updated at least within 24 hours of any maintenance. Each terminal is required to contain programme safeguards against the ability of unauthorised personnel to alter the database.

AMC M.A.614(c) Maintenance and airworthiness review records

ED Decision 2015/029/R

Associated maintenance data is specific information such as repair and modification data. This does not necessarily require the retention of all aircraft maintenance manual, component maintenance manual, parts catalogues etc. issued by the TC holder or STC holder. Maintenance records should refer to the revision status of the data used.

M.A.615 Privileges of the organisation

Regulation (EU) 2019/1383

The maintenance organisation approved in accordance with Subpart F, Section A of this Annex may:

(a) maintain any aircraft and/or component for which it is approved at the locations specified in the approval certificate and the maintenance organisation manual;

(b) arrange for the performance of specialised services under the control of the maintenance organisation at another organisation appropriately qualified, as described in the maintenance organisation manual;

(c) maintain any aircraft or component for which it is approved at any location, where the need of such maintenance arises either from the unserviceability of the aircraft or from the necessity of supporting occasional maintenance and subject to compliance with the conditions specified in the maintenance organisation manual;

(d) issue certificates of release to service, upon completion of maintenance, in accordance with point M.A.612 or M.A.613 of this Annex;

(e) if specifically approved to do so for ELA1 aircraft not involved in commercial operations, perform airworthiness reviews and issue the corresponding airworthiness review certificate in accordance with the conditions specified in point ML.A.903 of Annex Vb (Part-ML).

The organisation shall only maintain an aircraft or component for which it is approved when all the necessary facilities, equipment, tooling, material, maintenance data and certifying staff are available.

GM M.A.615 Privileges of the organisation

ED Decision 2015/029/R

M.A.615 states that the organisation shall only maintain an aircraft or component for which it is approved when all the necessary facilities, equipment, tooling, material, maintenance data, and certifying staff are available.

This provision is intended to cover the situation where the larger organisation may temporarily not hold all the necessary tools, equipment, etc. for an aircraft type or variant specified in the organisation’s approval. This paragraph means that the competent authority need not amend the approval to delete the aircraft type or variants on the basis that it is a temporary situation and there is a commitment from the organisation to re-acquire tools, equipment, etc. before maintenance on the type may recommence.

GM M.A.615(a) Privileges of the organisation

ED Decision 2015/029/R

M.A.615(a) applies also to facilities which may not be individually approved by the competent authority, such as those described in AMC M.A.605(a) for ELA2 aircraft.

AMC M.A.615(b) Privileges of the organisation

ED Decision 2020/002/R

M.A.615(b) refers to work carried out by another organisation which is not appropriately approved under M.A. Subpart F, Part-145 or Part-CAO to carry out such tasks.

The intent is to permit the acceptance of specialised maintenance services, such as, but not limited to, non-destructive testing, surface treatment, heat-treatment, welding, fabrication of specified parts for minor repairs and modifications, etc., without the need of Subpart F approval for those tasks.

The requirement that the organisation performing the specialised services must be ‘appropriately qualified’ means that it should meet an officially recognised standard or, otherwise, it should be acceptable to the competent authority (through the approval of the Maintenance Organisation Manual).

‘Under the control of the Subpart F organisation’ means that the Subpart F organisation should investigate the capability of the subcontracted organisation (including qualifications, facilities, equipment and materials) and ensure that such organisation:

               Receives appropriate maintenance instructions and maintenance data for the task to be performed.

               Properly records the maintenance performed in the Subpart F airworthiness records.

               Notifies the Subpart F organisation for any deviation or non-conformity, which has arisen during such maintenance.

The CRS may be issued either at the subcontractors or at the organisation facility by authorised certifying staff, and always under the M.A. Subpart F organisation reference. Such staff would normally come from the M.A. Subpart F organisation but may otherwise be a person from the subcontractor who meets the M.A. Subpart F organisation certifying staff standard which itself is approved by the competent authority via the Maintenance Organisation Manual.

Subcontracted specialised services organisations should be listed in the Maintenance Organisation Manual of the Subpart F organisation together with their qualifications, and the associated control procedures.

M.A.616 Organisational review

Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014

To ensure that the approved maintenance organisation continues to meet the requirements of this Subpart, it shall organise, on a regular basis, organisational reviews.

AMC M.A.616 Organisational review

ED Decision 2015/029/R

1. The primary objectives of the organisational review are to enable the approved maintenance organisation to ensure that it can deliver a safe product and that approved maintenance organisation remains in compliance with the requirements.

2. The approved maintenance organisation should identify:

2.1. the person responsible for the organisational review;

2.2. the frequency of the reviews;

2.3. the scope and content of the reviews;

2.4. the persons accomplishing the reviews;

2.5. the procedure for planning, performing and processing review findings; and,

2.6. the procedure for ensuring corrective actions are carried out in the appropriate time frame.

3. The organisation quality system as specified in Part-145 provides an acceptable basic structure for the organisational review system for organisations with more than 10 maintenance staff, dependent upon the complexity of the organisation.

4. Appendix VIII to AMC M.A.616 should be used to manage the organisational reviews.

M.A.617 Changes to the approved maintenance organisation

Regulation (EU) 2015/1088

In order to enable the competent authority to determine continued compliance with this Part, the approved maintenance organisation shall notify it of any proposal to carry out any of the following changes, before such changes take place:

1. the name of the organisation;

2. the location of the organisation;

3. additional locations of the organisation;

4. the accountable manager;

5. any of the persons specified in point M.A.606(b);

6. the facilities, equipment, tools, material, procedures, work scope, certifying staff and airworthiness review staff that could affect the approval.

In the case of proposed changes in personnel not known to the management beforehand, these changes shall be notified at the earliest opportunity.

AMC M.A.617 Changes to the approved maintenance organisation

ED Decision 2015/029/R

The competent authority should be given adequate notification of any proposed changes in order to enable the maintenance organisation to remain approved if agreed by the competent authority during negotiations about any of the specified changes. Without this paragraph the approval would automatically be suspended in all cases.

M.A.618 Continued validity of approval

Regulation (EU) 2021/700

(a) An approval shall remain valid until 24 March 2022, subject to:

1. the organisation remaining in compliance with this Part, in accordance with the provisions related to the handling of findings as specified under point M.A.619, and;

2. the competent authority being granted access to the organisation to determine continued compliance with this Part, and;

3. the approval not being surrendered or revoked;

(b) Upon surrender or revocation, the approval certificate shall be returned to the competent authority.

M.A.619 Findings

Regulation (EU) 2019/1383

(a) A level 1 finding is any finding of significant non-compliance with the requirements of this Annex and Annex Vb (Part-ML) which lowers the safety standard and seriously endangers flight safety.

(b) A level 2 finding is any finding of non-compliance with the requirements of this Annex and Annex Vb (Part-ML) which may lower the safety standard and may endanger flight safety.

(c) After receipt of notification of findings according to point M.B.605, the holder of the maintenance organisation approval shall define a corrective action plan and demonstrate corrective action to the satisfaction of the competent authority within a period agreed with this authority.