Recognition of Airworthiness Authorities

Effective Date: 15 August 2016

Version in effect: 7 (revised and released jointly with the OAA on 15 April 2025)

Reference: TAM Part 1, Chapter 4; OAM Part 3, Sections 329 and 330

OPI / Telephone: DTAES 2-2 / 613-808-3408

1. Purpose

1.1. This Joint Technical Airworthiness Authority (TAA)-Operational Airworthiness Authority (OAA) Advisory provides guidance and information on the recognition of Airworthiness Authorities (AAs), by:

1. defining what is meant by “recognition”;
2. explaining why the TAA and the OAA undertake recognition of AAs;
3. describing how recognition of an AA is achieved and maintained; and
4. providing a list of AAs that are currently recognized by the TAA, as well as those who have recognized the Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) Airworthiness Program and its Authorities.

2. Applicability

2.1. This TAA-OAA Advisory is applicable to TAA and OAAregulatory staff , TAA-accredited organizations and Authorized Individuals (AIs) who wish to leverage airworthiness artefacts from other AAs, and operational commanders in accepting risk associated with joint operations and/or authorizing personnel to fly on foreign military aircraft (FMA).

3. Related Material

3.1. Definitions:

1. Airworthiness Authority (AA). The generic term for any of the following: aviation regulatory agency (or authority), aviation safety authority, National Aviation (or Airworthiness) Authority (NAA), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), or Military Aviation (or Airworthiness) Authority (MAA).
2. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The government statutory authority in each country that oversees the approval and regulation of civil aviation. Depending on how it is structured within the state, the airworthiness authority may be established as a sub-component of the larger Civil Aviation Authority. The CAA may also be referred to as the National Aviation (or Airworthiness) Authority (NAA).
3. Military Airworthiness Authority (MAA). The national military airworthiness authority of a state responsible for the airworthiness of the military aircraft of that state. The Canadian MAA (CA MAA) is headed by an AA supported by an Operational Airworthiness Authority (OAA), an Airworthiness Investigative Authority (AIA) and a Technical Airworthiness Authority (TAA). Other military regulators may be organized differently. 
4. Recognition. The term “Recognition” can have different meanings within the airworthiness context. For the purposes of this advisory, recognition is defined as the process by which an AA assesses and acknowledges another AA as being a competent regulator, empowered with the necessary authority, infrastructure, resources, and mechanisms to ensure aviation safety. The scope of recognition is limited to those airworthiness functions that fall within the assigned responsibility of the respective AA. Recognition can be unilateral, bilateral, or multilateral.
5. Airworthiness Artefacts. For the purpose of this advisory, an airworthiness artefact is a regulatory output from a military or civil airworthiness authority. Normally, these regulatory outputs will take the form of an airworthiness approval, or authorization, from an AA. Examples may include any, but are not limited to, the following:
   1. Type Design approvals;
   2. Type Certificates;
   3. design change approvals;
   4. design data approvals;
   5. organization accreditations/approvals; and
   6. individual and organizational assignments of authority.

6. Duty of Care. In the context of this TAA-OAA Advisory, the obligation borne by the DND/CAF, in absence of direct airworthiness oversight, for ensuring that its personnel flying aboard FMA and/or engaged in joint operations with FMA, do so in a reasonably safe manner.

3.2. References:

1. A-GA-005-000/AG-001 – Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) Airworthiness Program.
2. C-05-005-001/AG-001 – Technical Airworthiness Manual (TAM)
3. B-GA-104-000/FP-001 – Operational Airworthiness Manual (OAM)
4. Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) Staff Instruction (SI) 511-001 Type Certification of Foreign Aeronautical Products – Determining the Level of Airworthiness Review
5. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Airworthiness Policy (internally, within DND, available in the AEPM library, RDIMS #1724729)
6. European Defence Agency (EDA) publication – European Military Airworthiness Document – Recognition (EMAD-R), Edition 3.1, 21 April 2023 (internally, within DND, available in the AEPM library, RDIMS #1559486)
7. Air Force Interoperability Council (AFIC) Air Standard AW 2003, Ed2, v1, 16 July 2021 – Process for Recognition of Military Aviation Authorities (internally, within DND, available in the AEPM library, RDIMS #1558748)
8. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Doc 9734 – Safety Oversight Manual, Second Edition 2011
9. ICAO Doc 9760 – Airworthiness Manual, Third Edition, 2014
10. The Convention on International Civil Aviation – Annex 6: Operation of Aircraft
11. Military Authorities Recognition Question Set (MARQ) Template (internally, within DND, available in the AEPM library, RDIMS #1634944)
12. AF9000 Procedure TAA09.006-05 – Technical Airworthiness Oversight – Industry Recognition Process
13. AF9000 Procedure TAA09.019 – Type Design Examination (TDE)

4. Discussion

4.1. Overview

4.1.1. One of the responsibilities delegated to the TAA under the DND/CAF Airworthiness Program (reference 3.2.a.) is to provide oversight of individuals and organizations that are performing technical airworthiness functions. The following sections of the Technical Airworthiness Manual (TAM) (reference 3.2.b.) describe how this responsibility is regulated for organization, or design certification, approvals that have been issued by another civil or military airworthiness authority:

1. TAM Part 1, Chapter 4 – Assignment of Technical Airworthiness Authority describes the rules and standards for determining the acceptability of organizations that have been assigned airworthiness management roles or airworthiness functions by another regulatory authority.
2. TAM Part 2, Chapter 5 – Type Design Examination (TDE) describes the rules and standards for the acceptance of work performed, and airworthiness artefacts issued, by another regulatory authority in relation to initial type certification or major design change approval.

4.1.2. To enable the provisions of these two TAM chapters, there is a requirement to identify the other regulatory authorities that are acceptable to the TAA and detail the methodology used to establish acceptability. Recognition is the primary process used by the TAA for establishing acceptability of the work and artefacts of another airworthiness regulatory authority.

4.1.3. One of the responsibilities delegated to the OAA under the DND/CAF Airworthiness Program (reference 3.2.a.) is to control, with the advice of the TAA with regards to technical airworthiness, the entry and operation of FMA in Canadian airspace. Although not an airworthiness responsibility, the OAA will also advise operational commanders of potential airworthiness concerns or risks when conducting joint operations with FMA or if they intend for their personnel to fly onboard FMA. The following sections of the Operational Airworthiness Manual (OAM) (reference 3.2.c.) describe how these responsibilities are fulfilled:

1. OAM Part 3, Section 329 – Foreign Military Aircraft Overflight of Canada refers to 1 Canadian Air Division (Cdn Air Div) Order 3-401, which provides details on the process used to approve the overflight by FMA of Canadian airspace; and
2. OAM Part 3, Section 330 – DND/CAF Personnel Flying on Foreign Military Aircraft, which refers to the DND/CAF’s duty of care with respect to personnel and the OAA role in advising commanders of any potential airworthiness concerns or risks that their personnel may be exposed to in joint operations with, or when flying onboard, FMA. The Operational Risk Management Tool, defined in 1 Cdn Air Div Order 3-310, may be used to accept the risk.

4.2. Benefits

4.2.1 Recognition of other AAs facilitating compliance with various provisions within the TAM and the OAM.

4.2.2 Recognition allows the TAA and the OAA to exploit opportunities arising from the adoption of another AAs' assurance activity, leveraging existing airworthiness artefacts, and realizing economies, and minimizing risk (e.g., adopting organizational approvals or aircraft certification evidence, enhancing interoperability mechanisms, such as cross-servicing, informing decisions in joint operations, etc.).

4.2.3 The recognition assessment process exposes the TAA and the OAA to other AAs’ program structure, methodologies and best practices, which can be adopted to improve the Technical and Operational Airworthiness Programs and enhance aviation safety within the DND/CAF. In addition, recognition of the DND/CAF Airworthiness Program by other AAs serves as a valuable peer review system, which can also result in program enhancements.

4.2.4 In the context of TDE, recognition can be used to support determinations of Acceptability and will influence the level of Type Design Review required (Level 1 – Minimal, Level 2 – Limited, or Level 3 –Comprehensive).

4.2.5 In cases where TDE is used in support of the airworthiness approval of a major design change managed by a fleet’s Type Certificate Holder, the TAA-approved Engineering Process Manual will detail the role of the recognized AA and the scope of authority that the TAA has approved.

4.2.6 In the military context, recognition can enhance interoperability by providing a greater understanding of another nation’s regulatory structure as it applies to continuing airworthiness, flying and aerospace control operations, and the training, qualification and authorization of personnel. This can be leveraged to allow greater integration and flexibility in joint operations through the establishment of mutual support arrangements.

4.3. Limitations and Constraints

4.3.1. Safety and airworthiness are sovereign responsibilities. Recognition, therefore, does not transfer any legal responsibilities from the TAA-OAA to the recognized AA. Even if the TAA-OAA have concluded, based on AA recognition, that the outputs of a MAA-regulated system are acceptable, the TAA-OAA continue to remain fully accountable for the airworthiness of CAF aircraft and their safe operation.

4.3.2. TAA and/or OAA recognition of another AA neither implies, nor requires, that the authority must make any changes to their airworthiness management systems because of the recognition. It remains the responsibility of the TAA and/or the OAA to account for any differences in standards and processes, and to decide how any identified gaps are to be managed.

4.4. Recognition – Civil Aviation Authorities

4.4.1. The DND/CAF Airworthiness Program has provisions for the recognition of Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) based on their regulatory experience and reputation, without requiring a formal recognition process. Recognition has been extended to the following CAAs:

1. Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) – the DND/CAF accepts certification work approved by TCCA that applies to civil pattern aircraft on the DND military aircraft register. This also includes acceptance of TCCA organizational approvals related to maintenance, design, manufacturing and materiel support services for civil-derived aeronautical products;
2. U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – the DND/CAF accepts certification work approved by the FAA that applies to civil pattern aircraft on the DND military aircraft register. This also includes acceptance of FAA organizational approvals related to maintenance, design, manufacturing and materiel support services for civil-derived aeronautical products; and
3. European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) - the DND/CAF accepts certification work approved by EASA and its member states that applies to civil pattern aircraft on the DND military aircraft register. This also includes acceptance of EASA and EASA member state organizational approvals related to maintenance, design, manufacturing and materiel support services for civil-derived aeronautical products.

4.5. Recognition – Military Airworthiness Authorities

4.5.1. There are currently several initiatives aimed at harmonizing the approach to airworthiness regulation between MAAs and for achieving mutual recognition. Key coordinated efforts have been sponsored by:

1. the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (reference 3.2.e.);
2. the European Defence Agency (EDA) (reference 3.2.f.); and
3. the Air Force Interoperabiity Council (AFIC) (reference 3.2.g).

4.5.2. Common to the efforts between these agencies is the use of a standardized assessment tool, based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) documents (references 3.2.h and 3.2.i), which outline the duties and responsibilities of MAAs with regards to the certification and continuing airworthiness of aircraft, and airworthiness safety oversight. This standardized assessment tool has been tailored for the military context and takes the form of a question set called the Military Authorities Recognition Question set (MARQ) (reference 3.2.k). The MARQ is a controlled document that is managed by the EDA Military Airworthiness Authorities (MAWA) Forum.

4.5.3. Unlike ICAO in the civil context, there is no single, internationally recognized organization that sets airworthiness or aviation requirements for MAAs. It is through the military fora noted above that Canada and other nations are working to promote harmonization and have adopted the process of recognition through the use of the MARQ.

4.5.4. Unique to the AFIC recognition procedure is the availability of an additional operational airworthiness assessment tool. It is also based on an ICAO document (reference 3.2.j.) and allows for the assessment of how airworthiness regulatory principles are applied to the operation of the aircraft. The Operational Airworthiness Assessment question set is published as Annex A in reference 3.2.g and, as with the MARQ, has been tailored for the military context.

Note: Within a military organization, airworthiness and aviation responsibility may be spread across a number of departments, and enforcement may only be possible through internal regulations, rules and contracts. While MAAs may closely align with international civilian airworthiness processes, by necessity, military aviation has a different risk context and will employ military design standards. For example, for most military organizations, operational effectiveness is paramount and, therefore, aviation safety objectives must be balanced against the need to accept higher levels of risk wherever operational circumstances dictate.

4.5.5. Military Authorities Recognition Question Set. The MARQ is structured in two layers: 'Organizational Goals' and 'Assurance Goals'. Between them, there are over 150 safety goals or protocol questions, distributed over four sections that allow an AA (MAA or CAA) to provide evidence on how it satisfies the safety goals through the conduct of its national airworthiness assurance responsibilities. The four sections of the MARQ are:

1. Airworthiness Regulator. This section identifies regulatory Organizational Goals and critical elements associated with the code, structure and organization of the authority;
2. Airworthiness Inspection. This section identifies Assurance Goals for the authority’s regulation of continuing airworthiness;
3. Production Oversight. This section identifies Assurance Goals for the authority's regulation of production organizations; and
4. Aircraft Certification. This section identifies Assurance Goals for the authority’s regulation of certification activities.

4.5.6. Operational Airworthiness Assessment. This question set is comprised of 117 Air Safety Goals that have been developed from Annex 6 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation entitled: Operation of Aircraft (reference 3.2.j). Annex 6 specifies International Standards and Recommended Practices for aircraft used in international commercial air transport operation carrying passengers or freight. These have been tailored for the military context and are grouped as follows:

1. General. This section establishes requirements for: compliance with laws, regulations and procedures, safety management, psychoactive substances, and aircraft tracking;
2. Flight Operations. This section establishes requirements for: operating facilities, operational certification and supervision, flight preparation, in-flight procedures, long range operations, cargo and carry-on baggage, and fatigue management;
3. Aircraft Performance Operating Limitations. This section seeks assurance that aircraft are operated in compliance with approved performance information and operating limitations contained in the approved aircraft flight manual;
4. Aircraft Instruments, Equipment and Flight Documents. This section establishes requirements for: markings and safety equipment, flight recorders, instrumentation, seats, EFBs, etc.;
5. Aircraft Communication and Navigation Equipment. This section establishes requirements for instrumentation and their functional capabilities;
6. Aircraft Maintenance. This section need not be completed if MARQ Sub-Sections A to D are being completed at the same time, as they cover this subject in more detail. This section is relevant if an Operational Airworthiness Assessment is being conducted as a standalone activity;
7. Aircraft Flight Crew. This section establishes requirements for: crew composition, crew emergency duties, crew training programs, qualifications, and equipment;
8. Manuals, Logs and Records. This section establishes requirements for: flight manuals, operator’s maintenance control manuals, approved maintenance program documents, etc.;
9. Cabin Crew. This section establishes requirements for the training and responsibilities of cabin crew;
10. Dangerous Goods. This section establishes requirements for procedures and provisions related to carriage and management of dangerous goods.

4.6. Recognition Process

4.6.1. The TAA (through the Directorate of Technical Airworthiness and Engineering Support (DTAES) 2 staff) is responsible for the overall coordination of an AA recognition event. The recognition process follows four basic phases:

1. planning;
2. review (desktop and onsite);
3. granting of recognition; and
4. recognition sustainment.

4.6.2. The planning phase sets the schedule and resource commitments of the parties involved in the recognition. The review phase typically includes both a desktop and an onsite review; however, the output of the desktop review may be sufficiently comprehensive so as to preclude the requirement for the onsite review. When granting recognition, the justification report will specify the scope and any associated limitations or conditions. Sustainment usually relates to the requirement to communicate any change to the conditions under which the recognition was originally issued. Terms, conditions and sustainment requirements are normally articulated in a recognition certificate and the supporting documentation.

Note: The DND/CAF recognition process most often assesses only those aspects of another AA’s regulatory program that equate to those found within the DND/CAF Technical Airworthiness Program, and will only involve use of the MARQ. For this reason, it is the DND/CAF TAA that undertakes and issues recognition on behalf of the Canadian MAA. Depending on the intended scope and use of the recognition, the OAA may participate in the process and have the AA complete the Operational Airworthiness Assessment question set. This can be done concurrently with, or independently of, the TAA MARQ assessment. If completed independently of the TAA recognition activity, the OAA will prepare either an addendum to the existing justification report or a stand-alone report for a first-time recognition.

4.6.3. Planning Phase

4.6.3.1. The planning phase is used to review the rationale for the AA recognition and establish the recognition plan. The TAA will normally support recognition of a MAA or CAA to leverage certification information developed by a MAA/CAA for an aircraft type being operated or procured by the DND/CAF. The TAA may also support recognition of a MAA or CAA that has regulatory responsibilities for organizations that perform design, maintenance, manufacture, or materiel support activities on aircraft types or aeronautical products that are similar to those operated by the CAF. The OAA will participate in, or initiate, this phase based on requirements and circumstance.

4.6.3.2. The recognition plan will identify:

1. the rationale for the recognition activity taking place;
2. points of contact within the MAA or CAA organization that will be facilitating the review;
3. a schedule identifying MARQ and/or Operational Airworthiness Assessment completion by the respective MAA/CAA, desktop review, onsite review and close-out activities; and
4. the TAA and/or OAA staff assigned to perform the reviews and documentation requirements.

Note: When the TCCA or FAA has a bilateral or similar agreement in place with a CAA that the DND/CAF is planning on recognizing, a reduced review can be applied. The recognition plan can be used to provide the rationale for a direct recognition, without completion of the MARQ, Operational Airworthiness Assessment, or an onsite evaluation. The reduced review could include the assessment of relevant open-source documentation, information provided by the CAA being recognized, and/or releasable third-party information applicable to the recognition. There may still be a requirement for TAA and/or OAA staff to meet with the CAA to understand how the CAAs’ regulatory system will be used to support the fleet that is on the DND military aircraft register. It may be necessary to develop limitations and conditions associated with the recognition, based upon risk assessment of any gaps in documentation or information.

4.6.4. Desktop Review

4.6.4.1. Once the MAA/CAA has completed the MARQ and/or Operational Airworthiness Assessment, and provided core MARQ reference documents, the TAA (DTAES 2 staff) will coordinate its review by its authorized representatives, as follows:

1. for the MARQ:
   1. DTAES 2 is responsible for the “Airworthiness Regulator” sub-section;
   2. DTAES 4 is responsible for “Airworthiness Inspection” and “Production Oversight”; and
   3. DTAES 3 is responsible for “Aircraft Certification”.
2. for the Operational Airworthiness Assessment:
   1. 1 Cdn Air Div/Senior Staff Officer Operational Airworthiness is responsible for the complete question set.

4.6.4.2. The objective of the staff review is to establish “acceptability” of the MAA/CAA’s airworthiness system based on their responses to the MARQ and/or Operational Airworthiness Assessment. It is essential that only experienced regulatory staff conduct this assessment, since the goal is not to measure a MAA/CAA against the DND/CAF Airworthiness Program, but rather to understand its authorities, policies, procedures and outputs, and identify possible gaps in the way the MAA/CAA is measured against the standardized AA requirements as defined by the MARQ and/or Operational Airworthiness Assessment.

4.6.4.3. Once the regulatory staff reviews are completed, a summary of findings is collated into a preliminary report. The report provides an overall assessment of acceptability and identifies any areas that require clarification through an onsite review. DTAES 2 is responsible for maintaining an electronic record of all findings and reports, and coordinating with the AA being assessed to build a schedule for the onsite review, if required.

4.6.5. Onsite Review

4.6.5.1. The onsite review will normally be led by the TAA’s authorized representative (DTAES Director or a regulatory Section Head). The onsite review team will include representatives from the TAA and/or OAA staff that have the subject matter expertise to conduct the follow-up with the MAA/CAA for the areas identified as requiring additional onsite review.

4.6.5.2. It is important that the schedule created for the onsite review include all questions and/or areas for additional review, as this, combined with the subsequent record of responses or findings and the report from the Desktop Review, will constitute the basis for the TAA and/or OAA supporting or rejecting a MAA/CAA recognition.

4.6.6. Granting Recognition

4.6.6.1. After the onsite review has been completed, the TAA (DTAES 2 staff) will complete the recognition file by preparing a final justification report, a Recognition letter, and a Certificate for the TAA’s signature. If the OAA conducts the Operational Airworthiness Assessment independent of a TAA recognition, the OAA will prepare either an addendum to the existing justification report, or a stand-alone report for a first-time recognition, in addition to a letter and certificate.

4.6.6.2. The recognition letter will include references to:

1. this Joint TAA-OAA Advisory;
2. the final justification report, and the RDIMS number of the project file that contains the completed MARQ and/or Operational Airworthiness Assessment; and
3. any reference material provided by the MAA/CAA.

4.6.6.3. DTAES 2 staff will then update Annex A to this Advisory, which lists the AAs recognized by the DND/CAF, as well as their scope and any associated limitations or restrictions.

4.6.7. Recognition Sustainment

4.6.7.1. The DND/CAF recognition process does not require a scheduled review and renewal of a MAA/CAA recognition. A DND/CAF recognition does not expire; however, its ongoing validity is dependent on the TAA and OAA being cognisant of any updates to the recognized MAA's/CAA's MARQ and/or Operational Airworthiness Assessment responses as a result of changes to their assigned authority or responsibility, organizational construct, or their associated regulations, policies or procedures. Although this can be facilitated through the “regulator-to-regulator” relationship that the recognition process establishes, the TAA and/or OAA remain responsible for determining whether the extant recognition is current and valid, when it is to be leveraged to accept artefacts or approvals, or otherwise inform interoperability decisions and/or arrangements.

5. Recognized Airworthiness Authorities

5.1 Recognized AAs

5.1.1 Annex A to this Advisory lists those AAs that have been recognized by the DND/CAF. Information is provided related to:

1. nationality;
2. whether it is a CAA or MAA;
3. organizational title and relevant composition details;
4. recognition reference documentation; and
5. the scope and conditions associated with the recognition.

5.1.2 Annex B to this Advisory lists those AAs that have recognized the DND/CAF Airworthiness Program.

5.1.3 These lists will be updated any time:

1. there is a change to an existing recognition;
2. new AAs are added; or
3. an AA’s recognition is revoked.