Sofema Aviation Services Considers Key Expectations Related to Production Approval
Production Approval – The standards for production approval ensure that every aircraft, engine, propeller, and associated part (and as of November 2026, remotely piloted aircraft systems) conforms to an approved design and is in a condition for safe operation.
Responsibilities of the State of Manufacture
The primary obligation of the State of Manufacture is to ensure the airworthiness of the product at the time of its release.
- Oversight: The State having jurisdiction over the organization responsible for production must examine the supporting data and inspect the production facilities and processes to determine compliance with appropriate production requirements.
- Parts Production: If a Contracting State takes responsibility for the production of aircraft parts (manufactured under a design approval), it must ensure those parts are airworthy.
- Risk-Based Approach: It is recommended that States balance “risks and rigor” when approving production, basing their oversight on the acceptable level of risk determined for the specific product.
Quality Systems and Inspection Procedures
To guarantee airworthiness, the State of Manufacture requires manufacturing organizations to establish robust internal systems:
- Quality/Inspection System: The manufacturing organization must establish and maintain a quality system or a production inspection system. This system must ensure that each aircraft, engine, propeller, or associated part is airworthy at release.
- Design Data Access: The manufacturing organization must hold the design approval (such as a Type Certificate) or have the right of access to the approved design data relevant for production through an agreement.
Production of Aircraft Parts and Sub-contractor Oversight
The responsibility for airworthiness extends beyond the primary manufacturer to the entire supply chain:
- Sub-contractors and Suppliers: The quality or inspection system established by the manufacturer must ensure that parts produced by sub-contractors and suppliers are also airworthy.
- Records of Origin: Records must be maintained to establish the origin of each aircraft, engine, propeller, and associated part (including the manufacturer, date, and serial number), and to verify its identification with approved design and production data.
- State Oversight of Parts: Where the State of Manufacture is different from the State where associated parts are produced, an agreement may be established to support oversight responsibilities over the organizations manufacturing those parts.
Coordination
When the State of Manufacture is not the State of Design, specific coordination mechanisms are required to ensure seamless oversight of airworthiness.
Agreement Requirements (State of Manufacture & State of Design)
If the State of Manufacture is not the State of Design, there must be an agreement or arrangement acceptable to both States. This agreement ensures the following:
- Access to Design Data: The manufacturing organization must have the right of access to the approved design data relevant to production.
- Defined Responsibilities: The agreement must clearly address the responsibilities of each State regarding design, manufacture, and continuing airworthiness.
- Handling Suspensions: The agreement must cover responsibilities during periods when the State of Design suspends the Type Certificate of the affected aircraft type.
- Termination of Approval: The agreement must include provisions to terminate the production approval if the State of Design revokes the Type Certificate corresponding to that aircraft type.
Note on Future Applicability – While the core principles remain the same, the Annex notes that as of 26 November 2026, these provisions will explicitly extend to remote pilot stations and remotely piloted aircraft, ensuring the production of RPAS components meets the same rigorous standards as traditional aviation products
Next Steps
Sofema Aviation Services and Sofema Online provide Regulatory Compliant and Vocational Classroom, Webinar and Online Training for EASA, FAA, UAE GCAA, Saudi GACA, OTAR. Please visit the websites or email [email protected].
Tags:
Aviation Audit, Aviation Maintenance, ICAO Annex 8, Risk-based approach, production approvals, airworthiness oversight, Sofema Aviation Serices (SAS), Annex 8, Aviation Production, Parts Production, Design Data Access
