Regulatory Framework
The role of ICAO, the European Commission, EASA and the National Aviation Authorities (and the UAE GCAA); the Basic Regulation and how Part-21, Part-M, Part-145, Part-66 and Part-147 fit together.
Regulatory framework — summary notes
Free- ICAO (the International Civil Aviation Organization) was created by the 1944 Chicago Convention. It sets international Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), published as Annexes — Annex 1 Personnel Licensing, Annex 6 Operation of Aircraft, Annex 8 Airworthiness of Aircraft. ICAO does not regulate directly; member States implement the SARPs in national law.
- In the EU system, the European Commission makes the law, EASA (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency) drafts the rules and issues certificates/approvals, and each National Aviation Authority (NAA) oversees organisations and personnel in its State.
- The Basic Regulation is (EU) 2018/1139 (which replaced 216/2008). Under it sit the implementing rules: (EU) 748/2012 = Part-21 (initial airworthiness — design and production); (EU) 1321/2014 = continuing airworthiness, containing Part-M, Part-145, Part-66, Part-147, Part-CAMO, Part-CAO and Part-ML; and (EU) 965/2012 = Air OPS.
- How the Parts fit together: Part-21 certifies the design and build; Part-M / Part-CAMO manage continuing airworthiness; Part-145 organisations do the maintenance; Part-66 licenses the certifying staff who sign the CRS; Part-147 approves the training and examination organisations that qualify them.
- EASA guidance material: each rule has AMC (Acceptable Means of Compliance) and GM (Guidance Material) — AMC shows one accepted way to comply, but is not the only way.
- ── UAE / GCAA ── The UAE is an ICAO contracting State, and its General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is the DIRECT national regulator — there is no supranational agency layer like the EU's EASA, so the GCAA both writes the rules and issues the certificates and licences.
- The GCAA rules are the Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs), organised in Parts: CAR Part II (Licensing & Training) holds CAR-66 (the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Licence) and CAR-147; CAR Part V (Airworthiness) holds CAR-21, CAR-M and CAR-145; operations sit under CAR-OPS. GCAA guidance is issued as CAAPs (Civil Aviation Advisory Publications) — the equivalent of EASA's AMC/GM.
- GCAA CAR-66 is modelled on EASA Part-66: the same licence categories (A, B1, B2, B3, C), the same basic-knowledge modules and the same examination standard — so this syllabus applies to both. UAE aircraft carry an A6- registration, and smaller non-CAT aircraft below 5700 kg MCTOM may be maintained under CAR-M Subpart F rather than CAR-145.
- ⚠ Exam trap: ICAO sets standards but does not license individuals or approve organisations — that is done by EASA and the NAAs, or directly by the GCAA. Part-66 / CAR-66 licenses PEOPLE; Part-145 / CAR-145 approves ORGANISATIONS.
- Basic Regulation
- (EU) 2018/1139
- Continuing airworthiness
- (EU) 1321/2014 — Part-M, 145, 66, 147, CAMO, CAO, ML
- Initial airworthiness
- (EU) 748/2012 — Part-21
- GCAA CAR structure
- Part II Licensing (CAR-66, CAR-147) · Part V Airworthiness (CAR-21, CAR-M, CAR-145) · CAR-OPS
- EASA → GCAA map
- Part-21 ≈ CAR-21 · Part-66 ≈ CAR-66 · Part-145 ≈ CAR-145 · Part-M ≈ CAR-M
A technician asks which body actually issued their maintenance licence and which set the international airworthiness standard behind it.
The licence is issued by the National Aviation Authority (or the GCAA in the UAE) under Part-66 / CAR-66. The underlying international standard comes from ICAO — Annex 1 (Personnel Licensing) and Annex 8 (Airworthiness) — which States implement through EASA/GCAA rules. ICAO itself issues nothing to the individual.
How does the UAE GCAA regulatory chain differ from the EU one, and under which regulation is a UAE maintenance licence issued?
In the EU the chain is Commission → EASA → National Aviation Authority. In the UAE the GCAA is the direct national regulator with no separate agency layer — it both writes the CARs and issues the certificates. A UAE maintenance licence is the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Licence issued by the GCAA under CAR-66 (in CAR Part II), which mirrors EASA Part-66 in categories and exam standard.
Which regulation and Part govern the organisation that carries out the maintenance, versus the person who certifies it?
The organisation is approved under Part-145 (in (EU) 1321/2014); the certifying person is licensed under Part-66 (same regulation). The two are separate approvals that work together — an approved organisation employing appropriately licensed staff.
Regulatory framework concept map
FreeRegulatory Framework
Regulatory framework quiz
FreeRegulatory Framework — quiz
1. ICAO was established by which convention?
2. ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices are published as:
3. Which body issues the actual aircraft maintenance licence to an individual?
4. The current EU Basic Regulation is:
5. Part-66, Part-145 and Part-M are contained in which regulation?
6. Part-66 governs the approval of:
7. Part-147 organisations are approved to:
8. The UAE GCAA equivalent of EASA Part-145 is: