IATA Aircraft Lease Guidance

Guidance Material and Best Practices for Aircraft Leases
3.3.4 Continuing Airworthiness
Continuing airworthiness covers all of the processes ensuring that, at any time in their operating life, aircraft
comply with the airworthiness requirements in force and are in a condition for safe operation. It includes:
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Instructions for Continuing Airworthiness (ICA)
ICAs are prepared by the organization responsible for the type design. They contain specifications,
methods, procedures and tasks necessary to maintain the aircraft or a component and are published in a
format that the operator can readily adapt for use. They are published by the Design Approval holder,
which may be the Type Certificate, a Supplemental Type Certificate holder or other organizations such as
the holder of a TSO authorization. Typically, they are in the form of Airworthiness Limitations,
Certification Maintenance Requirements, Aircraft/Engine Maintenance Manuals, Structural Repair
Manuals, Wiring Diagrams, repair instructions, etc. There are different interpretations as to whether some
documents with technical data that are issued by a Design Approval holder are considered part of the
ICA. Examples include Fault Isolation Manuals, Load Analysis Service Bulletin, Illustrated Parts
Catalogues, Maintenance Planning Documents and Component Maintenance Manuals. The regulations
by EASA and FAA with respect to ICA are fairly harmonized and found in the respective Part 21s (FAA
FAR 21, EASA Part 21) and subordinate regulations such as FAR Part 25/EASA CS-25 and associated
guidance material such as Advisory Circulars and FAA Orders (e.g. 8110.54A).
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Maintenance Programs
The operator must use ICA information provided by the Design Approval holder to prepare a
maintenance program suitable for its operation and based on its service experience; as each operator
has a different operating environment, maintenance programs for the same aircraft type differ between
operators. The operator will then amend it.
As a result, a different maintenance program may apply when transferring an aircraft. Normally, a
bridging program is established to align the maintenance program with that of the new operator.
However, some states apply requirements which must be met upon introduction of the aircraft into the
fleet of the new operator. This can lead to downtime and significant costs. Please refer to Annex VII for
more details on maintenance programs.
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The Safety Feedback Loop
Defect reporting and analysis with a view to consider whether airworthiness is at stake and measures
need to be taken. Such measures may include the issue by an authority of an Airworthiness Directive.
Subsequently it is the operator’s responsibility to accomplish all mandatory requirements concerning the
aircraft.
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Continuing Airworthiness Management Organizations
Whereas the continuing airworthiness tasks themselves do not significantly differ between US and
European air operators, there is a significant difference with respect to organizational aspects. In the US,
operators conducting commercial air transport under FAR 121 or FAR 135 rules are required, as part of
their Air Operator Certificate, to have a continuing airworthiness management program that ensures
airworthiness of the aircraft.
36 4 th Edition 2017