AWARD OF CERTIFICATION OF AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TO MALTESE ORGANISATIONS

With the adoption of the Joint Aviation Regulations (JARs) in Malta on 1 January 1999, the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) started the process of getting all Maltese aircraft operators and maintenance organisations to conform with these JARs. One of the JARs is the JAR 145 which concerns the certification of aircraft maintenance organisations.

In Malta there are currently three such organisations – Air Malta - the National Carrier, NCA International Ltd – a light to medium aircraft maintenance organisation, and Aeromaritime Ltd – a helicopter engine overhaul facility. The first two companies hold maintenance organisation approval issued under the Air Navigation Order, although Air Malta also hold a French Directorate of Civil Aviation JAR 145 approval. Aeromaritime currently holds a JAR 145 approval issued by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority.

Now that Malta is a full member of the JAA, it has the responsibility to certify aircraft maintenance organisations on its territory in accordance with JAR 145 standards. The process of actually auditing Maltese aircraft maintenance organisations was initiated by the Department of Civil Aviation earlier this year.

NCA International Ltd carries out maintenance work on light to medium aircraft of up to 7 tonnes weight including the CASA 212 which is operated by Mediterranean Aviation Co Ltd (Medavia). NCA International Ltd also maintains Maltese registered light aircraft which have a public transport Certificate of Airworthiness.

The audit of NCA International Ltd to JAR 145 standards started in May 2000 and was terminated in September 2000. The company is now considered to meet the JAR 145 standards and today is therefore being issued with a Malta JAR 145 certificate. Later this year a Joint Aviation Authorities (Europe) JAA Maintenance Standarisation Team (MAST) will be visiting Malta to assess this certification process and if it considers it satisfactory, the JAA will extend the recognition of the Malta JAR 145 certification to all other JAA member States.

Companies such as NCA International Ltd issued with a JAR 145 certification by the Maltese Department of Civil Aviation will be then listed in the JAA directory of JAR 145 approved organisations. This will mean that any aircraft

Coperator of a JAA member State could contract a Maltese JAR 145 maintenance organisation without the need for any approval from his State civil aviation authority, and the JAR 145 certification of Maltese aircraft maintenance organisations could therefore lead to increased work being attracted to Malta.

The JAR 145 certification process for NCA Ltd was completed by Department of Civil Aviation staff, with the help of an ex UK CAA Airworthiness Surveyor who was hired to assist the Department's Airworthiness Surveyor in his audit work. It is the first such process to be completed under the full responsibility of the Department, and hopefully, subject to a satisfactory report by the MAST, NCA International Ltd will be the first such Malta DCA JAR 145 approved organisation to feature in the JAA directory of JAR 145 approved organisations.