Now, the operator has a choice — Page 25, Lesson 41

I want to walk you through the final part of the AOC (Air Operator Certificate) requirements. We're looking at two key areas: how maintenance is handled, and what happens if the certificate is at risk. First, the operator must ensure their aircraft are airworthy and maintained according to the manufacturer's approved maintenance programme. That's the baseline. Now, the operator has a choice. They can carry out the maintenance themselves, "in-house." If they do that, the operator must be approved under EASA Part 145 — that's the regulation for the approval of maintenance organisations. So they need their own Part 145 approval. Alternatively, the operator can hire a third-party company to do the maintenance. In that case, the operator must make sure that the maintenance organisation they hire is also EASA Part 145 approved. The operator's responsibility doesn't stop there. They must ensure that the Authority — the regulator — is granted access to the aeroplanes and to the maintenance organisation. And if a third party is doing the work, that same access must be granted to that third party's facility as well. So the regulator can inspect anywhere the maintenance chain touches. Now, let's move to the next section: Variation, Revocation or Suspension of an AOC. This is about what happens when things go wrong. The Authority has discretion — meaning it's their judgment call — to vary, revoke, or suspend an AOC. This happens if the Authority ceases to be satisfied that the operator can continue to operate safely. How does the Authority stay satisfied? They carry out periodic audits of the operation. These audits include two specific things: first, inspection and assessment of the operator's own internal audit system — so the operator must have a system for checking themselves. Second, inspection of the financial records of the operation. That's important because financial trouble can affect safety. For the approval to continue, the operator's primary responsibility is to ensure that the conditions under which the AOC was issued are complied with. And any limitations or restrictions imposed by the Authority — which must be stated on the certificate itself — must also be respected. So the AOC isn't just a piece of paper; it carries specific conditions and limits that the operator must follow every day.