Dear Kaisar,
This is certainly an interesting question, particularly in this era of
aviation safety consciousness in a shrinking world. Obviously, the
term “airworthiness” covers a plethora of individual subjects, such as
manufacturing, inspections, training, certification of mechanics and
inspectors, and so forth. Since you have asked for information on how
the system works, I won’t be addressing these specific details of what
comprises airworthiness or continuing airworthiness, but will for the
purposes of this discussion, define airworthiness in its simplest
terms as “when an aircraft or one of its component parts meets its
type design and is in a condition for safe operation,” with these
other lesser terms assumed to be included in that broad description.
I’ll further define “continuing airworthiness” as “the sustaining of
airworthiness standards throughout the life cycle, post type
certification.”
To begin, there are in fact, quite a number of organizations,
associations, commissions, and affiliations that have made it their
purpose to attempt the establishment and oversight of airworthiness
standards, on an international and national level. Your use of the
term “framework” is quite accurate, as that is what these groups
together make up.
This global framework might be pictured as a sort of umbrella, with
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as the apex, or
highest central point. ICAO was founded in 1944 at The Chicago
Convention, convened by the U.S. in the wake of WWII, to which 55
countries were invited, of which 32 signed the original agreement.
Today, ICAO functions as a specialist agency of the United Nations
with 188 member countries, listed here:
http://www.icao.int/cgi/goto.pl?cgi/statesDB4.pl?en and below. If
you are interested in further details of its inception and history,
you can find them here:
http://www.icao.int/cgi/goto.pl?icao/en/history.htm
Among ICAO’s functions and responsibilities is the establishment of
Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), which of course include
airworthiness. Airworthiness is covered under Annex 8 of the
Operations/Airworthiness Section SARPs. Continuing airworthiness is
not a separate issue, but is included under the broader fields of
maintenance, inspections, and training and certification of mechanics
and inspectors.
Unfortunately, these SARPs are not available for free, however, they
are available to the public at a price. Should you wish to acquire a
copy, I’ve provided a list of links below where they may be purchased
in a variety of formats.
Bear in mind that while ICAO has regulatory authority in establishing
standards, and “contracting States are required to notify ICAO
whenever national aviation regulations differ from the ICAO standards,
it does not, however, “have the authority to insist on compliance -
even in matters of safety and security.” (
http://www.icao.int/icao/en/jr/5202_up.htm ) This lack of enforcement
authority has been a matter of some concern, and the preceding
reference also contains discussion on ways to improve and expand upon
the enforcement powers of ICAO.
===============================================================================
Radiating out from ICAO’s apex are a number of associations at a
governmental level representing further agreement between various
countries on issues of air safety and airworthiness, including
continuing airworthiness, which seek to assist and oversee one another
in drafting and enforcing regulations adhering in letter and spirit to
the standards set forth by ICAO. Europe has several of these
associations, but there are also those which include members from
Africa and South and North America. Asia is underrepresented, though
that will likely change in the future as civil aviation is growing in
this part of the world. These associations include:
European Union (EU): http://europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/s13004.htm
European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC):
http://www.ecac-ceac.org/uk/
Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA):
http://www.jaa.nl/whatisthejaa/jaainfo.html
"The Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) is an associated body of the
European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) representing the civil
aviation regulatory authorities of a number of European States who
have agreed to co-operate in developing and implementing common safety
regulatory standards and procedures. This co-operation is intended to
provide high and consistent standards of safety and a "level
playing-field" for competition in Europe. Much emphasis is also placed
on harmonising the JAA regulations with those of the USA."
European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUOCAE):
http://www.eurocae.org/
Comision Latinoamerica de Aviacion Civil (CLAC:
http://www.dgac.cl/clac.htm (in Spanish)
African Civil Aviation Commission (ACAC):
http://www.afcac-cafac.org/site_anglais/afcac_english.htm
Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS): http://www.oecs.org/
===============================================================================
Further strengthening and helping to tie together this umbrella-like
framework are a number of other organizations whose purpose is to
foster international cooperation and communication regarding aviation
safety issues, including that of airworthiness standards and
continuing airworthiness. Though they are “unofficial” in the sense
of having no real “teeth” to mandate anything, they nevertheless fill
a need in the critical areas of cooperation and communication between
nations on this and other safety-related issues. Also, these
organizations have member states that are not necessarily members of
ICAO, which makes them especially important for reaching and
communicating with these non-ICAO countries on matters of aviation
safety and airworthiness.
The one organization specifically dedicated to this topic is “The
International Federation of Airworthiness:”
http://www.ifairworthy.org/index.html , whose stated goal is
dedication “to improving aviation safety by increasing international
communication, awareness and co operation on all aspects of
airworthiness and particularly that of continuing airworthiness.” It
was established and registered in the UK as a Non Governmental
Organization (NGO) and is recognized as a charity for the purposes of
raising funds to support its work. .
Supporting this important effort are other groups. Here is a list (in
alphabetical order):
Flight Safety Foundation (FSF): http://www.flightsafety.org/home.html
* Continuing Airworthiness: http://www.flightsafety.org/care.html
Global Aviation Information Network (GAIN): http://www.gainweb.org/
International Air Transport Association (IATA):
http://www.iata.org/index.htm
International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASE):
http://www.isasi.org/
International Transportation Safety Association (ITSA):
http://www.itsasafety.org/
*Information on aviation specific issues:
http://www.itsasafety.org/organisation/investigations_and_studies/index.html
Maintenance and Ramp Safety Society (MARSS): http://www.marss.org/
===============================================================================
Finally, despite all the best-intentioned efforts by international and
regional associations, and the plethora of cooperation and assistance,
in the end it is up to each individual member country to draft and
implement its own regulations incorporating these standards, and such
of the recommended practices as they wish to include. Since ICAO, as
stated above, has no authority to enforce these standards, nor do any
other of these governmental agencies, enforcement then also becomes a
matter for individual countries.
The countries that complete the framework are, of course, the ICAO
member countries, but also woven into the whole are all the other
countries that are not ICAO members, but which nevertheless play a
part in international aviation. Some of these are connected to other
parts of the framework such as the regional groups, some are merely
grafted on, but together all these entities make up the entirety of
the system of airworthiness within international aviation.
Here is the most currently available list of ICAO member countries.
Links are provided to those countries for which I could find an online
connection to the civil aviation regulating authority. Although
English is the official language of international aviation, and most
of the sites listed are available in English, not all of them are, and
I’ve tried to note those that are not.
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda: http://www.oecs.org/DCA_WEBsite/dcahome.htm
Argentina: http://www.orsna.gov.ar/ (in Spanish)
Armenia
Australia: http://www.casa.gov.au/
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain: http://www.bahrainairport.com/caa/index_caa.htm
Bangladesh: http://www.bangladeshgov.org/ (link to Civil Aviation not
working)
Barbados
Belarus: http://www.ivcavia.com
Belgium: http://vici.fgov.be/fr/index-fr.htm (in French)
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia: http://www.dgac.gov.bo/
Bosnia and Herzegovina: http://www.bhdca.gov.ba/
Botswana
Brazil: http://www.dac.gov.br/principalIng/index.asp
Brunei Darussalam: http://www.civil-aviation.gov.bn/
Bulgaria: http://www.bulatsa.com/
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia: http://www.mpwt.gov.kh/
Cameroon
Canada: http://www.tc.gc.ca/air/menu.htm
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile: http://www.dgac.cl/ (in Spanish)
China: http://www.caac.cn.net/ (in Chinese)
Colombia: http://www.aerocivil.gov.co/ (in Spanish)
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica: http://www.mopt.go.cr/aviacion/index.html (in Spanish)
Croatia
Cuba: http://www.cubagov.cu/ingles/mapa.htm
Cyprus: http://windowoncyprus.com/directorate_of_civil_aviation_cy.htm
Czech Republic: http://www.caa.cz/ucl_e.htm
Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark: http://www.slv.dk/English/Default.htm
Djibouti
Dominican Republic: http://www.dgacdom.gov.do/aerocivil.htm (in
Spanish)
Ecuador
Egypt: http://www.y2k-capmas.gov.eg/fslide6.html
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia: http://www.ecaa.ee/atp/eng/
Ethiopia
Fiji: http://www.caafi.org.fj/
Finland: http://www.ilmailulaitos.com/ilmailulaitos/
France: http://www.dgac.fr/ (site is currently down)
Gabon
Gambia: http://www.gambia.gm/gcaa/
Georgia
Germany: http://www.lba.de/englisch/englisch.htm
Ghana: http://www.gcaa.com.gh/
Greece: http://www.hcaa.gr/home/index.asp (in Greek; English site
under construction)
Grenada: http://www.oecs.org/DCA_WEBsite/dcahome.htm
Guatemala: http://www.aeronauticacivil.org.gt/index-old.htm (in
Spanish)
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary: http://www.caa.hu/hun/p2.html (in Hungarian)
Iceland: http://www.caa.is/Forsida/English/view.aspx?.
India: http://dgca.nic.in/
Indonesia
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Iraq
Ireland: http://www.iaa.ie/
Israel: http://portal.mot.gov.il/default.asp (in Hebrew)
Italy: http://www.enac-italia.it/enac_english.htm
Jamaica: http://www.jcaa.gov.jm/
Japan: http://www.mlit.go.jp/koku/ats/e/index.html
Jordan: http://www.jcaa.gov.jo/
Kazakhstan: http://www.aviation.almaty.kz/ (under construction)
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait: http://www.kuwait-airport.com.kw/
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia: http://www.caa.lv/caa.htm (in Latvian - English page under
construction)
Lebanon: http://www.beirutairport.gov.lb/airport/dgca/dgca.htm
Lesotho
Liberia
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya: http://www.lycaa.org/
Lithuania: http://www.aiva.lt/cad/index-e.htm
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia: http://www.mot.gov.my/english/DivisionText.asp?div=1003
Maldives: http://www.aviainfo.gov.mv/
Mali
Malta: http://www.mtc.gov.mt/transport_air.asp
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico: http://www.asa.gob.mx/ (in Spanish)
Micronesia (Federated States of)
Monaco
Mongolia: http://www.mcaa.gov.mn/
Morocco: http://www.mincom.gov.ma/english/generalities/transpor/transpor.html#air
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal: http://www.south-asia.com/atsc/
Netherlands: http://www.luchtvaartbeleid.nl/dgl/metamenu/english1.asp
New Zealand: http://www.caa.govt.nz/
Nicaragua: http://www.mti.gob.ni/ (in Spanish)
Nigeria: http://www.nama-nig.com/
Niger
Norway: http://www.luftfartstilsynet.no/ (in Norwegian)
Oman: http://www.dgcam.com.om/
Pakistan: http://www.caapakistan.com/
Palau
Panama: http://www.aeronautica.gob.pa/
Papua New Guinea: http://www.oca.gov.pg/
Paraguay
Peru: http://www.mtc.gob.pe/dgac/index.htm (in Spanish)
Philippines
Poland: http://www.ulc.gov.pl/ (in Polish)
Portugal: http://www.nav.pt/eng/default.htm
Qatar
Republic of Korea: http://www.moct.go.kr/EngHome/
Republic of Moldova
Romania: http://www.caa.ro/
Russian Federation: http://www.gsga.ru/english/index.htm
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis: http://www.oecs.org/DCA_WEBsite/dcahome.htm
Saint Lucia: http://www.oecs.org/DCA_WEBsite/dcahome.htm
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines:
http://www.oecs.org/DCA_WEBsite/dcahome.htm
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia: http://www.pca.gov.sa/pca/PCA%20ASSD.htm
Senegal
Serbia and Montenegro
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore: htp://www.caas.gov.sg/
Slovakia: http://www.caa.sk/
Slovenia: http://www.caa-rs.si/
Solomon Islands
Somalia: http://www.so.undp.org/programmes/civaviation.htm
South Africa: http://www.caa.co.za/
Spain: http://www.mfom.es/aviacioncivil/top_aviacioncivil.html (in
Spanish)
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden: http://www.lfv.se/eng/index.asp
Switzerland: http://www.aviation.admin.ch/e/index.htm
Syrian Arab Republic
Tajikistan
Thailand: http://www.mot.go.th/ (in Thai w/some English)
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia:
http://www.ucvp.gov.mk/ang/index_ang.htm
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago: http://www.caa.gov.tt/forums/members.asp
Tunisia
Turkey: http://www.ubak.gov.tr/ (in Turkish)
Turkmenistan
Uganda: http://www.caa.co.ug/index.php
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates: http://www.gcaa-uae.com/
United Kingdom: http://www.caa.co.uk/
United Republic of Tanzania
United States: http://www2.faa.gov/
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu: http://www.airports.vu/english/government/VanuatuCAA.htm
Venezuela
Viet Nam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe: http://www.caaz.co.zw/
===============================================================
In addition to the above listed ICA-member countries, here are links
to some other individual (non-ICAO) countries/entities having an
online aviation regulatory or governmental presence:
Bermuda: http://www.dca.gov.bm/
Hong Kong: http://www.info.gov.hk/cad/
Macao: http://www.macau-airport.gov.mo/partners_aacm.phtml
Tanzania: http://www.tanzania.go.tz/tcaa.html
On the subject of continuing airworthiness specifically, this is
implied within all the regulations at all levels, usually addressed
within mandated ongoing maintenance and inspection processes. These,
of course, are carried out by individual airlines whose inspectors
and/or aircraft mechanics have been trained and certified under each
country’s regulations, and are overseen by representatives of the
individual country’s civil aviation authority. In cases where there
are discrepancies, say if an airline’s equipment is maintained to a
different or lesser standard than the country in which it wishes to
establish or maintain a flight presence, then the country with the
higher standard usually prevails if the other wishes to maintain its
flight presence there.
As an example, here’s a link to a bulletin published by the FAA,
addressing continuing airworthiness policies pertaining to foreign
operators “utilizing either U.S. or non-registered U.S. aircraft
within or outside the United States:”
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:FGRt0B6uXboJ:www.faa.gov/AVR/AFS/FSAW/FSAW9810.DOC+%22continuing+airworthiness%22+global+OR+worldwide+OR+international&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Also, here’s a link to the International Aviation Safety Assessment
(IASA) conducted by the FAA under ICAO auspices, which lists countries
that do and do not meet ICAO standards of safety, including
airworthiness: http://www2.faa.gov/avr/iasa/
===============================================================
In summary then, the framework of airworthiness standards
establishment and regulation (including continuing airworthiness) is
made up of the following umbrella-like structure:
Apex --ICAO (International)
Ribs and Connectors --Regional governmental associations, aided and
supplemented by
*International trade and industry associations
(International/Regional)
Cloth --Individual countries’ civil aviation regulatory agencies or
authorities (National)
I hope you’ll find that this answer meets or exceeds your needs and
expectations. If anything isn’t clear, please do use the Google
Answers “Request Clarification” feature before rating and closing this
question. I want to be sure I’ve given you a good explanation of the
way the system of regulating and overseeing airworthiness works, as
you requested, from the international to the national levels. Thank
you for the opportunity to work on this very interesting question.
Best regards,
--Byrd
===============================================================
1) Airworthiness definition:
http://www1.faa.gov/fsdo/phl/airworthiness.htm
2) Continuing Airworthiness definition:
http://www.ifairworthy.org/index.html
===============================================================
Other Links:
ICAO: http://www.icao.int/
Places to purchase the ICAO Annexes:
http://www.icao.int/icao/en/sales.htm
http://www.ihsaviation.com/databases.html#ICAO
http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/services/corporateservices/aic/specialistaviacoll.htm#ICAO
Summary of ICAO history:
http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:SRd1MXN2CxcJ:www.baylor.edu/~Monty_Suffern/avs4310lecture1.ppt+airworthiness+airline+international+national+ICAO+IATA&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
===============================================================
Search strategy and terms:
I began by using my personal knowledge of the existence of ICAO and my
personal bookmark to search its site specifically for member states,
regulations, history, and any mention of “airworthiness, ” as well as
to publications covering pertinent regulations.
After that, I searched specifically for
aviation associations OR organizations
Then I searched for “civil aviation” authority OR authorities OR
agency OR agencies, taking note of individual country sites that came
up. I looked through several dozen sites returned in the search, as
well as followed links to lists of country links.
Within the returns of each of these searches, I further checked for
references to safety and airworthiness.
Other terms used:
"continuing airworthiness" global OR worldwide OR international
“civil aviation” international OR global OR world
international aviation regulation
“civil aviation” organizations OR associations OR groups
civil authority air OR aviation OR aeronautical OR "air transport" |
