Get a Part-66 licence

In a Part-145 approved organisation, the different categories of Part-66 licences are:

See points 66.A.3 and 66.A.20 of Annex III (Part-66) to Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 can be found on the Agency website https://www.easa.europa.eu/regulations#regulations-continuing-airworthi… or in the eRules https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/easy-access-rules/easy-acce…)

1. In order to get an EASA Part-66 AML (Aircraft Maintenance License), an applicant needs:
   
   1. Basic knowledge (66.A.25);
   2. Basic experience (66.A.30).
2. In order to get an aircraft type rating TR endorsed in the AML, an applicant needs:
   
   1. Type Training (Theoretical and Practical) (66.A.45)
   2. On-the-job Training (OJT) for the first TR (66.A.45).

The following two schemes depict the most common paths and are for information only.  

• The first scheme applies to Group 1 aircraft (B1 and B2 licence categories).
• The second scheme applies to other than Group 1 aircraft (B1 and B2 licence categories).

NOTE: Aircraft groups are described in 66.A.5.

These schemes do not override Part-66 requirements nor capture all the possibilities (various licences, educations and experiences). The start and end of each phase can vary depending on individual cases.

For further and detailed information:

• Refer to Part-66 and related AMC/GM; and
• Consult the Competent Authority where you intend to apply for the AML.

NOTE:
An AML issued by a country other than EASA Member States cannot be rendered valid as EASA Part-66 AML.

NOTE:
Part-66 licences issued by the countries other than EASA Member States are not mutually recognised in the European system.

Click on the pictures to zoom in.

The initial application for a Part-66 aircraft maintenance licence shall be made to the competent authority of one of the Member States (MS). Please contact this competent authority for an application Form (EASA Form 19) and specific details concerning the application.

The EASA Form 19 shall be submitted to the MS together with evidence of compliance with the requirements. MS will specify the related fees and how compliance with the requirements shall be demonstrated.

See 66.A.10, 66.A.15, 66.A.25, 66.A.30, 66.A.45 and 66.A.70 and related AMC/GM.

An application for amendment or renewal of a Part-66 aircraft maintenance licence (AML) shall be made to the competent authority of the MS who issued the licence. Please contact this competent authority for an application Form (EASA Form 19) and specific details concerning the application.

The EASA Form 19 shall be submitted to the MS together with evidence of compliance with the requirements. MS will specify the related fees and how compliance with the requirements shall be demonstrated.

See 66.A.10, 66.A.15, 66.A.25, 66.A.30, 66.A.40, 66.A.45, 66.A.50, and 66.A.70 and related AMC/GM.

EASA is not a licensing authority and therefore does not issue any licences. Part-66 licences are issued by the competent authorities of the EU Member States, plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The list of the National Aviation Authorities and their contact details can be accessed here: https://www.easa.europa.eu/the-agency/member-states .

According to the current rules, a Part-66 licence is required for:

• certifying the release to service of maintenance of an aircraft;
• work in maintenance organisations as support staff.

For other activities within a maintenance organisation, a Part-66 licence is not required. No Part-66 licence exists for components (based on article 5 of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 2018/1142).

Remark: Privileges on the basis of national requirements may be added in the Part-66 licence in section XIV. national privileges.

Regulation (EU) 1321/2014 does not require any medical examination before applying for a Part-66 licence.

In the past some medical criteria were proposed in JAR-66, but these were removed in order to avoid conflicts with national rules. JAR 66.A.50 had requirements on:

• use of alcohol at work,
• effects of medicines,
• physical conditions, vision, ability to see colours,
• mental conditions.

Part-66 has only a provision to suspend, limit or revoke licences in case of carrying out maintenance or issuing a certificate of release to service when adversely affected by alcohol or drugs [66.B.500 point(7)].

Current 145.A.30(e) requests certifying staff to receive a human factor training and GM 1 145.A.30 (e) gives guidance about the elements of the training to be imparted:

4 - Human performance & limitations
4.1    Vision
4.2    Hearing
4.3    Information-processing
4.4    Attention and perception
4.5    Situational awareness
4.6    Memory
4.7    Claustrophobia and physical access
4.8    Motivation
4.9    Fitness/Health
4.10  Stress
4.11  Workload management
4.12  Fatigue
4.13  Alcohol, medication, drugs
4.14  Physical work
4.15  Repetitive tasks / complacency

Common sense recommends the certifying staff not to exercise the privileges of their certification authorisation if they know or suspect that their physical or mental condition renders them unfit to exercise such privileges (impact to the safe maintenance operations). In addition such recommendation may be covered and rendered mandatory by the national requirements of the Member State where you exercise your privileges. Typical examples are for intoxication (alcohol, drugs, etc.).

It is therefore recommended that you inform the management of your maintenance organisation:

• as you should not deviate from the national law;
• as the organisation shall establish and control the competence of personnel; (145.A.30(e) – necessary expertise related to the job function);
• as the organisation shall have a human performance programme in place (145.A.35(e)); and
• as the ICAO safety management system encourages to identify hazards and risks.

Please find an agreement with your company in order to list the maintenance tasks that you are allowed to carry out without jeopardising the aircraft safety.

Note: The same reasoning as explained above applies for any medical condition.

Anybody able to pass the basic knowledge examinations and fulfil the basic experience requirements can get the related Part-66 licence. There are no additional conditions such as a medical certificate or any other proof regarding the mental or physical abilities. In other words, people with specific learning difficulties or physical impairments are not discriminated by Part-66 or Part-147.

Obtaining the licence does not give the certification privileges. Before granting such privileges, the maintenance organisation will have first to check the competence, including the assessment of the skills and abilities and considering the Human Factors principles. The scope of the certification authorisation will be commensurate to these competence/abilities. Please note that in some EU Member States additional occupational safety and health requirements may apply (working on heights, confined spaces, etc.).

EASA does not plan to propose amendments to the regulations to account for cases of people with special needs during examinations: a single regulation cannot cover all individual cases. If a Member State intends to introduce any such adaptation, Regulation EU 2018/1139 (the BR) includes the possibility for the Member States to grant an exemption under the Article 71(2), after evaluation of the individual conditions for the case.

As an additional information, the Agency already issued several positive recommendations for such exemptions (e.g. for candidates with confirmed dyslexia, i.e. 25% additional time). Please contact your competent authority for details.

For further information about the flexibility provisions under the BR, please see 'Safeguard & Flexibility Provisions'.

Either you are the holder of:

• a national licence [66.A.305] or an approved maintenance organisation authorisation [66.A.310], that was valid in the Member State before the entry into force of the EASA regulation introducing the relevant Part-66 categories (see entry into force of the amendments of the regulation), or
• JAR-66 licence, which will automatically be re-issued as Part-66 licences as they are deemed to have been issued in accordance with Part-66. This does only apply to JAR-66 licence issued by the countries listed on the Mutual recognition page.

Please note that none of the bilateral agreements between the EU and third countries (at present US, Canada, Brazil and China and Japan) have the maintenance licences in their scope.

Furthermore, 66.A.70 allows conversion of qualifications valid in a Member State in very specific and limited cases.