The Federal Aviation Administration has published its final rule, Inspection Programs for Single-Engine Turbine-Powered Airplanes and Unmanned Aircraft; and Miscellaneous Maintenance-Related Updates.
Why this matters
The final rule clarifies and streamlines some requirements in 14 CFR Part 145. It resolves ambiguities in the regulatory language, making it easier for repair stations to understand and meet their obligations and giving them more flexibility in how they comply while maintaining aviation safety standards.
The revisions include:
Revise §145.109(d) to read as follows:
§145.109 Equipment, materials, and data requirements. * * * * *
(d) A certificated repair station must maintain, in a format acceptable to FAA, the documents and data required for the performance of maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations under its repair station certificate and operations specifications in accordance with Part 43 of this chapter. These documents and data must be accessible when the relevant work is being done.
This eliminates the current prescriptive list of documents and data that must be current and accessible and allows the repair station to focus on the documents and data that they actually use.
Amend §145.201 by revising paragraph (a)(2) and the introductory text of paragraph (c) to read as follows:
§145.201 Privileges and limitations of certificate.
(a) * * * (2) Arrange for another person to perform the maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations of any article. The certificated repair station may approve the work for return to service following the maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations performed on the article by the other person if— (i) The certificated repair station is rated to perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations on the article; and (ii) The requirements in §145.217 have been met. * * * * *
(c) A certificated repair station may not approve for return to service the work performed on—
The revision to §145.201(a)(2) is intended to “clarify” the ability of a repair station to outsource (contract) maintenance to a third party and link this option to the requirements of § 145.217 Contract maintenance. In addition, the revision to §145.201(c) clarifies that the repair station is responsible for the “work performed.” The original language lacked this clarity.
Amend §145.211 by revising paragraph (c)(1)(v) to read as follows:
§145.211 Quality control system. (c) * * * (1) * * *
(v) Establishing and maintaining technical data for maintaining articles;
This revision eliminates the language that required “current” technical data and aligns with the data requirements of 14 CFR Part 43.
Amend §145.217 by revising paragraphs (a) and (b)(3) to read as follows:
§145.217 Contract maintenance.
(a) A certificated repair station may approve the work for return to service following the maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations performed on an article by an outside source under contract or other arrangement, in accordance with §145.201(a)(2), provided all the following conditions are met:
(1) The administrator approves the maintenance function to be contracted.
(2) The repair station maintains and makes available to its responsible Flight Standards office, in a format acceptable to the administrator, the following information:
(i) The maintenance functions contracted to the outside source; and
(ii) The name of each outside source to whom the repair station contracts maintenance functions and the type of certificate and rating, if any, held by the outside source.
(b) * * * (3) The certificated repair station verifies, by test or inspection, or both, that the work has been performed satisfactorily by the noncertificated person and that the article is airworthy before approving the work for return to service.
The revision is intended to better clarify contract maintenance by rewording §145.217(a) and tying it back to §145.201(a)(2). There are also minor word changes throughout §145.217.
Next Steps
The new regulations take effect Jan. 11, 2027. The revisions to the contract maintenance requirements are unlikely to require changes to the repair station manual. However, the requirements for documents and data under 14 CFR §§ 145.109 and 145.211(c)(1)(v) may require updates to the quality control manual. Repair stations are encouraged to review both manuals for errors and determine whether any revisions are needed.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Ric Peri, AEA vice president of government and industry affairs, by email at ricp@aea.net or by phone at 202-589-1144.