FAA and CAA Singapore sign Maintenance Agreement Guidance

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has signed a Maintenance Agreement Guidance (MAG) with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), which will permit mutual surveillance conducted on certified repair stations located overseas for each of the agreement partners.
The agreement means that where there are sufficient certificated facilities in both partner countries, Maintenance Implementation Procedures (MIPs) may reduce the number of surveillance activities, free up inspector resources for the authorities, and reduce the regulatory burden on industry. Currently, there are 58 FAA-approved repair stations located in Singapore.
This MAG furthers the MIP agreement signed by FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and CAAS on February 16, 2016, which was the first of its kind in Asia and which reduces costs by allowing the reciprocal acceptance of Singapore and the United States’ surveillance of maintenance work. The MIP and MAG allows for reliance on each other’s surveillance systems to the maximum extent possible while maintaining safety. Agreements such as the MIP allow for improved efficiency and ultimately will save valuable industry and authority resources. The FAA and the CAAS have agreed to conduct surveillance on each other’s behalf to guarantee compliance with the respective regulatory requirements for maintenance and the applicable Special Conditions. Both agreements build on the 2004 U.S-Singapore Bilateral Safety Agreement (BASA) which has benefitted both countries through savings on time and reduction in costs in aircraft design and manufacturing. As part of the strong U.S.-Singapore bilateral relationship, the FAA and the CAAS are also partnered under Singapore’s Air Traffic Management Center of Excellence to expand understanding and build Air Traffic Management capacity in the region.