In this waypoint we will draw an important distinction between and Air Operator Licence, and an Air Operator Certificate.
We have decided to include this waypoint so you have a better idea of the context within which the Air Operations regulation stands, and so that, when you are at your present or future workplace, you can immediately understand what is meant by an Operating Licence and an Air Operator Certificate. The two are distinct.
Organisations within the European Union are not permitted to provide air services unless they have an operating licence from the competent authority of a member state. Basically, an Operating Licence permits the holder to carry passengers, mail and/or cargo by air, for remuneration. All carriers in the European Economic Area, which includes all EU member states and Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein, are free to operate on most routes within the EEA without the need to obtain further authorisation. Please remember, that although Switzerland is an EASA member state, it is not part of the European Economic Area, and is subject to a bilateral air transport agreement with the EU.
An Air Operator Certificate, on the other hand, is one of the prerequisites to be granted an Operating Licence. Finish off the “Drag and Drop” game below to review the required critieria to acquire an Operating Licence.
As I stated earlier, an AOC is one of the prerequisites to obtain an Operating Licence.
Basically, an AOC is the approval granted by the same competent authority granting the Operating Licence to allow the operator to use aircraft for commercial purposes. This requires the operator to have the professional ability, personnel, assets, processes and systems to make sure that its employees, its passengers, and the general public, are safe. Generally, the certificate will list the aircraft types and registrations that are to be used, for what purpose, and in what area, such as specific airports or geographic regions.
In summary, to be easy for you to remember, an Operating Licence allows an organisation to offer commercial air services, and an Air Operator Certificate makes sure that it does so safely.
The EASA Air Operations regulation has to be complied with for the operator to gain and maintain an AOC. Therefore, all our course, and your work within the context of EASA Air Operations regulation is centred around safety.
Regulatory Reference:-
