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The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD) and the Civil Aviation Directorate of Transport Canada (TCCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) known as the "Technical Arrangement on Aviation Maintenance", on mutual recognition of approvals of maintenance organisations in Hong Kong and Canada today (December 5) in Hong Kong.
Before they are allowed to maintain components of aircraft registered in a country, maintenance organisations are required to obtain approval from the aviation authority of that country and be subjected to the authority's regulations, audits and standards. The MOU allows the civil aviation authorities of Hong Kong and Canada to recognise each other's approvals of maintenance organisations to maintain aircraft components. This means that Hong Kong-based maintenance organisations can maintain aircraft components for Canada-registered aircraft without seeking additional approval from the Civil Aviation Directorate of Transport Canada (TCCA). Likewise, maintenance organisations based in Canada can maintain aircraft components for Hong Kong-registered aircraft.
The Acting Assistant Director-General of Civil Aviation, Mr Tsang Yuk-poon, said, "Partnership between civil aviation authorities through mutual recognition will reduce duplication of approval and audit work by the authorities thus maximising the utilisation of resources of both the regulators and the industry. In the end, such mutual recognition will improve the quality of aircraft maintenance through the use of common airworthiness standards."
Hong Kong made similar mutual recognition arrangements on aircraft maintenance with the Mainland and Macau and with Singapore in 2002 and 2004 respectively. The extension of the mutual recognition arrangement to other countries is well supported by the aviation industry.
Ends/Monday, December 5, 2005
Issued at HKT 12:03
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