1.) SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE APPROVED MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION (MOA – MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION APPROVAL)
Anyone maintaining certified products—such as aircraft, engines, propellers, as well as parts and appliances or ETSO articles—in accordance with the approved Instructions for Continuing Airworthiness (ICA) requires regulatory approval to do so.
Mandatory approval standard:
Approval in accordance with (EU) 1321/2014, Part 145 applies to the maintenance of both commercially and privately operated aircraft and their components.
The approval as a maintenance organisation only applies to the organisation’s defined Scope of Work (SoW), which covers the maintenance of aircraft and/or parts and appliances.
2.) MAIN TASKS OF AN APPROVED MAINTENANCE ORGANISATION
The primary responsibility of an approved maintenance organisation is to ensure that the contracted maintenance is performed and released properly in accordance with Part 145 and the approved Instructions for Continuing Airworthiness (ICA).
2.1 Requirements for approval as a maintenance organisation
Key prerequisites for the approval process by the competent authority and for submitting the application (EASA Form 2) include:
- Availability of the technical, organisational, and personnel resources required for the approved Scope of Work. This includes, among others, Certifying Staff authorised to release aircraft or parts and appliances for service after maintenance
- Accurate work planning, taking into account the requirements defined in the ICA (e.g. AMM, CRM, CMM, SRM, etc.)
- Appointment of a Safety Manager function
- Availability of current Instructions for Continuing Airworthiness (AMM, CRM, CMM, SRM, etc.)
- Suitable facilities, tools, and equipment to perform maintenance in accordance with legal requirements and the requirements of the DAH (Design Approval Holder)
3.) PART 145 REQUIRES A QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (QMS)
To effectively and transparently control all processes and procedures, a Quality Management System (QMS) must be established. It must be described in a Maintenance Organisation Exposition / Maintenance Organisation Handbook (MOE/MOH) in accordance with 145.A.70.
3.1 Key system and product-related procedures
The procedures of an approved maintenance organisation (MOA) must, among other things, address the following requirements:
- Resource-based planning of maintenance tasks
- Qualification of personnel and release staff (Certifying Staff)
- Selection and oversight of external suppliers (supplier management)
- Occurrence management (Occurrence Reporting)
- Safety management
- Continuous monitoring of the management system as part of Compliance Monitoring (e.g. through internal audits)
- Management of significant changes within the maintenance organisation
- Issuing of Certificates of Release to Service (CRS) after completion of maintenance
- Purchasing, storage, and provision of parts and materials for maintenance
- Record keeping and archiving
3.2 Privileges
Privileges of an approved maintenance organisation (MOA) may include:
- Issuing a Certificate of Release to Service (CRS) after completion of maintenance on an aircraft (145.A.50(a))
- Issuing an EASA Form 1 after completion of maintenance on a component for the following activities (145.A.50(d)):
- Overhauled
- Repaired
- Inspected / Tested
- Modified
- Issuing an EASA Form 123 after implementation of a standard change / standard repair on an ELA1 or ELA2 aircraft
4.) ACC SERVICES IN THE AREA OF PART 145
4.1 Consulting
- Support in establishing processes in accordance with Part 145
- Support in establishing complete management systems in accordance with Part 145
- Process and procedure optimisation in Part 145 maintenance organisations
- Support in extending the approval scope (Scope of Work)
- Interim management in the area of Compliance Monitoring Management (CMM)
- Consulting for more efficient implementation of Part 145 requirements, and process/procedure optimisation
- Implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS)
- Training concepts tailored to the approval scope (e.g. Human Factors, SMS Part 145, aviation law, conformity determination for Certifying Staff, materials management and supplier management, etc.)
- Project support coaching for employees and teams (Compliance Managers, Maintenance Managers, Certifying Staff, buyers, maintenance planners, work planners, project managers, etc.)
4.2 Deliverables / Products
- Generic Quality Management Manual including procedures
- Forms and checklists (depending on needs and complexity)