The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has made changes to their International Standards and Recommended Practices contained in Annex 6, Part II, relating to larger complex business jets. All the current 190 signatory States to the Convention on International Civil Aviation now have to change their legislation to conform to these changes, including the Isle of Man.
The Isle of Man Aircraft Registry (IOMAR) expects the new legislation to come into force during 2013, following which; it plans to issue a general exemption for one year to enable operators to meet the new requirements.
The key changes to the legislation will include the need for a structured and auditable approach to the operation of the larger more complex aircraft and will include:
- The requirement for an approved Minimum Equipment List (MEL). Operators already using an IOMAR approved MEL will automatically qualify.
- The requirement for a Maintenance Control Manual detailing how
the operator will manage the day to day continuing airworthiness
needs of the aircraft. This can include delegation of tasks to
nominated persons, but cannot be a delegation of
responsibility.
The IOMAR is planning to issue a basic Maintenance Control Manual that operators can customise. Although not following the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) requirement for a formal approval (Part M subpart G) the IOMAR will accept the services of an EASA Part M subpart G organisation provided they are given a named contact within the organisation. - The requirement for an Operations Manual, including:
- Flight crew fatigue management
- Safety Management Systems (SMS) which is appropriate to the size and complexity of the operation.
Again the IOMAR is planning to issue a basic Operations Manual that operators can customise, but will also accept the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) Manual.
As the world's only dedicated private/corporate jet register, the IOMAR aims to continue to be pragmatic and practical in its approach to regulating these changes.
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