IATA Aircraft Lease Guidance

Delivery
minimum standards set by ICAO. Those regulations are often followed or copied by other states. However,
other states can interpret the regulations differently or add other regulations.
Even though the import process of every state differs, the general order of importation processes is shown in
Figure 6.
Registration
Design
Approval
Airworthiness
Certification
Continuing
Airworthiness
Additional
Airworthiness
Operational/
Airspace/
Security/Other
Requirements
Figure 6.
Import processes
Design approvals are given for each design. This means that repeat products do not need to go through that
process again. Hence, for aircraft series, the design approval has usually already been obtained well before
registration and certification of the aircraft.
3.3.1 Registration
The registration procedure is different for every state. All states use procedures derived from ICAO, modified
to fit their own standards.
Article 18 of the Chicago Convention states ‘An aircraft cannot be validly registered in more than one State,
but its registration may be changed from one state to another’. Therefore, documents which are typically
required for a registration procedure are: evidence of deregistration, proof of ownership/holdership, and
evidence of incorporation of the applicant.
Identification requirements are generally based on ICAO Annex 7 and include installation of a fireproof
identification plate (crash plate), the application of registration marks, and the programming of unique codes
for transponders and Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELT).
Some states have requirements in addition to the standard registration markings (e.g. Malaysian registered
aircraft are required to paint the Malaysian flag and the word ‘MALAYSIA’ on the aircraft).
3.3.2 Design Approval
The design approval process pertains to the airworthiness certification of the type design of an aircraft,
engine, propeller, part or component. Modifications and repairs are also subject to design approvals.
Approving designs (e.g. new aircraft type) is referred to as initial airworthiness certification and consists of
the following:
●
Acceptance of airworthiness codes
A design approval is applied for by the OEM and issued by a National Aviation Authority (NAA) when
they have determined that the design is in compliance with relevant design standards. High-level design
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