Join ARSA Ask ARSA Pay ARSA

New Bilateral Oversight Guidance for ASIs

The FAA has announced an amendment to Order 8900.1, Vol. 6, Chap. 9, Sec. 27 clarifying procedures for aviation safety inspectors (ASIs) who oversee domestic repair stations holding foreign certificates under bilateral aviation safety agreements (BASAs) between the FAA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), the United Kingdom (UK) CAA, and/or the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC).

Among other things, the updated Sec. 27:

  • Provides background on the purposes of BASAs and related Maintenance Implementation Procedures (MIP) and Maintenance Annex Guidance (MAG).
  • Describes the various prerequisites ASIs must meet prior to conducting oversight, including FAA electronic Learning Management System (eLMS) course requirements specific to each of the BASAs.
  • Explains the interrelationship between ASIs, the FAA Flight Standards Service (AFS) General Aviation Group (AFS 340), and the partnering civil aviation authority, identifying FAA coordinators as primary points of contact between AFS and the foreign CAA and explaining how policy issues and proposed changes to the MIP and MAG are elevated within AFS.
  • Details procedures for auditing a repair station pursuant to a MIP.

The Order directs ASIs to use Sec. 27 in conjunction with the applicable MAG between the United States and foreign country, but reminds them the MAG supersedes the order if the two documents conflict.

Similar guidance related to oversight of U.S. repair stations with European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval is found at FAA Order 8100 Vol. 6, Chap. 9, Sec. 24. Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) guidance is in Sec. 22.



More from ARSA

SBA Pushes DOT on ARSA OpSpecs Recommendation

On May 5, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy submitted comments to the Department of Transportation’s regulatory reform request for information. The comments compiled small business issues from…Read More

White House Directs Technical Career Strategy Development

On April 23, the White House issued an executive order supporting efforts to boost the U.S.’s skilled employee pipeline. The order directs government agencies to examine current federal programs and…Read More

Championing the Industry at MRO Americas

On stage and behind the scenes at the Georgia World Congress Center, ARSA leaned into the 2025 MRO Americas convention theme: Shaping the future of aviation maintenance. Brett Levanto, association…Read More

Weston Award Recognizes Crowley’s Commitment to Learning

On March 20, ARSA recognized Jerry Crowley with its Leo Weston Award for Excellence in Government Service. Crowley is a long time FAA aviation safety inspector who was a professional…Read More

Industry Requests More Time to Comment on FAA Order 8130.21J

Update: On April 17, the FAA notified the industry signatories that it had extended the comment deadline to June 6, 2025. On March 28, ARSA joined 11 ally trade associations…Read More
ARSA