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FAA Production Approval

This category contains 41 posts

FAA Issues Revised Production Approval Guidance for Public Comment

The FAA has released for comment an updated draft of 8120.22B (Production Approval Procedures). It is open for comment through April 21, 2025. A cursory review shows that the in-line sample documents have been removed from the PMA section. This is an opportunity to ask the FAA to address some industry concerns, like directions that … Continue reading

Can FAA Production Oversight Be Improved?

Section 314 of the FAA Reauthorization Act requires the FAA to examine its production oversight, including the risk-based decision making approach to allocation of manpower to facility oversight.  This affects the oversight decisions made by FAA Certificate Management Sections (previously known as MIDOs). This is a potential opportunity to influence the system for FAA audits … Continue reading

New Safety Management Systems (SMS) Rule

The new Safety Management Systems (SMS) regulation will be published on Friday April 26. A pre-publication version of the rule is currently available for inspection. The new regulation will expand the applicability of FAA’s SMS rule to include type certificate (TC) holders and production certificate (PC) holders. It will also expand the scope to include … Continue reading

MARPA Files Formal Comments on Safety Management and on Systems Safety

MARPA has filed formal comments on two recent rulemaking activities: SMS and Systems Safety. In both cases, the comments are intended to improve the rules and make them more useful to protect safety in the global aviation system. Continue reading

Should Safety Management Systems Apply to PMA?

The deadline for Safety Management Systems (SMS) comments is coming soon. One key question asked in the FAA proposal is whether the SMS rules should be applied to PMA holders. Continue reading

The FAA SMS Rule is Here

The FAA will publish its Safety Management Systems (“SMS”) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) in tomorrow’s Federal Register. This long-awaited proposed rule has been scaled back from the original scope (manufactures and maintenance organizations) and only appears to apply to: There will be an exception for production certificates that are based purely on a supplemental … Continue reading

Safety Management Systems Update (for Manufacturers)

Safety Management Systems (SMS) is being adopted as a standard practice across the manufacturing industry. We will be discussing SMS at the Annual Conference in November. This is a review of the status of SMS regulations for manufacturers in some jurisdictions. United States The FAA is expected to take their existing SMS rule (which applies … Continue reading

Covid Relief Grant Money for Aviation Manufacturers and Repair Stations – Deadline Is Approaching Fast!

The deadline for applying for the AMJP is coming up fast – it is Tuesday, July 13 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. For those who do not know, the AMJP (Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection) program provides payroll grants to (1) production approval holders (PMA/TSOA/PC), (2) MROs (FAA Part 145 certificate holders), and (3) suppliers who … Continue reading

Congressional Aid for Manufacturers and MROs Takes One More Step Forward

Congress appears ready to pass a Payroll Support Program for aviation manufacturers and MROs. Continue reading

FAA: Virtual Evaluation Is Here to Stay

The FAA plans to remain in a maximum telework environment. This means that they will be maximizing the use of remote technologies; but FAA personnel will also be permitted to perform onsite oversight where that is warranted. The FAA has stressed that there is no limitation or prohibition that would restrict the FAA from performing … Continue reading