The Part-145 Approval Process

Before an organisation may perform maintenance under Part-145, it must first obtain approval from the competent authority. The organisation is expected to establish the systems, procedures, facilities, personnel, and resources necessary to comply with the regulation before applying for approval. This includes maintenance facilities, tooling, maintenance data, competent personnel, safety management activities, and organisational procedures.

The organisation must demonstrate that maintenance activities can be properly controlled before approval can be granted.

One of the most important elements of the approval process is preparation of the Maintenance Organisation Exposition, commonly referred to as the MOE. The MOE describes how the organisation intends to comply with Part-145 requirements and how maintenance activities will be managed within the organisation. The MOE normally includes information related to organisational structure, management responsibilities, maintenance procedures, certification processes, safety management, and compliance monitoring activities. The MOE becomes one of the organisation’s principal controlled documents and forms part of the authority assessment process.

Personnel involved in management or oversight activities should become familiar with the MOE structure and understand how it references compliance with Part-145 requirements, AMC guidance, and organisational procedures.

It is recommended that organisations perform an internal review of their systems before the authority investigation begins. This process is often referred to as a pre-audit or internal verification activity. The objective is to identify deficiencies, non-compliances, or weaknesses before the formal authority assessment takes place. Typical internal verification activities may include facility inspections, procedural reviews, document verification, personnel interviews, and internal audits.

Corrective actions should normally be implemented before the formal application progresses.

The formal application is normally submitted using EASA Form 2. Following submission, the competent authority performs an investigation to assess whether the organisation complies with Part-145 requirements. The investigation may include review of facilities, interviews with management personnel, examination of maintenance data systems, review of certification procedures, and assessment of organisational capability. The authority is not responsible for building the organisation’s compliance system. Its role is to verify that compliance already exists.

If deficiencies are identified during the investigation, the authority may raise findings requiring corrective action. The organisation must then identify root causes, corrective actions, implementation plans, and measures intended to prevent recurrence. Approval may be delayed until the authority is satisfied that identified issues have been adequately addressed.

Once approved, the organisation remains subject to continuing oversight by the competent authority. Part-145 approval is therefore not a one-time exercise. The organisation must continuously maintain compliance through internal monitoring, safety management, personnel competence, procedural control, and effective organisational oversight. Maintaining approval requires continuous attention to both compliance and operational safety.”