Aeronautical authorities of mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR signed "Cooperation Arrangement on Mutual Acceptance of Airworthiness Certification” in Macao

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong SAR (HKCAD) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR (AACM) met to discuss on mutual acceptance of airworthiness certification in Macao from 13 to 14 May and signed the “Cooperation Arrangement on Mutual Acceptance of Airworthiness Certification” on 13 May. From now on, the three aeronautical authorities shall grant airworthiness certification of aircraft lease and aircraft transfer (in relation to aircraft, means the process of deleting an aircraft from the aircraft register maintained by one Authority and entering it in the aircraft register maintained by another Authority) on mutual acceptance of the test result of airworthiness, in reducing the economic burden on aviation industries arising from repetitive technical evaluations, tests and inspections, to facilitate the receiving Authority in speeding up the testing procedures. 

For the purpose of enhancing quality in aviation safety as the ultimate goal, the three Aeronautical Authorities discussed the cooperation arrangement of airworthiness certification in 2007, each Authority agreed that the standards and systems of the other Authorities for the airworthiness certification are sufficiently equivalent, in providing the convenience to the mutual acceptance of airworthiness certification and agreed to formulate and sign the cooperation arrangement.

“Cooperation Arrangement on Mutual Acceptance of Airworthiness Certification” applies to aircraft in respect of which the type approval has been issued by the receiving Authority. In accordance with the contents of the arrangement, acceptance by receiving Authorities in granting airworthiness certification of aircraft lease from a person under the jurisdiction of, or aircraft transferred from the aircraft register of another Authorities, the receiving Authority shall use its best endeavors to give the same validity to the technical evaluations, determinations, tests and inspections about the certificate of airworthiness concerned made by such other Authority as if the receiving Authority had made them itself. The signing of “Cooperation Arrangement on Mutual Acceptance of Airworthiness Certification” not only facilitate the cooperation and support of the aeronautical Authorities in establishing and maintaining airworthiness standards and certification systems, also in the reduction of the economic burden on aviation industries and operators from repetitive technical evaluations and inspections. 

The signing ceremony took place in the office of AACM. The signatories were the Director General of Aircraft Airworthiness Certification Department of CAAC, Mr. Zhang Hong Ying, the Director General of Civil Aviation, HKCAD, Mr. Norman Lo and the President of AACM, Mr. Simon Chan. The three Aeronautical Authorities have held discussions in some details of the implementation procedures for the Cooperation Arrangement on Mutual Acceptance of Airworthiness Certification. After the particulars have been mutually agreed between the three Authorities, the Cooperative Arrangement shall be implemented in accordance with the implementation procedures. In addition, the Authorities shall discuss the implementation of the arrangement from time to time and amendments shall be made to the procedures in appropriate time.

In order to enhance cooperation among the three areas aiming at sharing resources, the Aeronautical Authorities of the three parties have held discussions in evaluating the rules, standards, practices, procedures and systems for the approval and monitoring of maintenance organizations since 1999 and have signed the “Cooperation Arrangement on Mutual Acceptance of Aircraft Components and Aircraft Engine” in 2002 and 2004 respectively. The three parties have also signed the new Cooperation Agreement in 2006 and extended the two originally signed cooperation arrangement to all maintenance items, meaning aircraft maintenance organizations that have the approval documents of the Aeronautical Authority of one party are also accepted by the other two Authorities.

Apart from the signing ceremony of “Cooperation Arrangement on Mutual Acceptance of Airworthiness Certification”, CAAC and HKCAD also signed the “Cooperation Arrangement on Mutual Acceptance of Parts Manufacturer Approvals” between China and Hong Kong. It facilitated the acceptance by the User Authority under the provision of the certification of aircraft products and parts produced by the other Authority, in issuing the Parts Manufacturer Approvals in producing non-critical part under the certification procedures. Since Macau does not have the aircraft products and parts manufacturer, this arrangement is not applicable to Macau in this stage. 

On 13 May 2009, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong SAR (HKCAD) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR (AACM) signed “Cooperation Arrangement on Mutual Acceptance of Airworthiness Certification” in Macao.