The Flight Standards and Airworthiness Division (FSAD) is responsible for the grant of Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) and the monitoring of all AOC holders to ensure their compliance with the Standards and Recommended Practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on flight safety and airworthiness.
Other functions of the division include the issue of flight crew and aircraft maintenance licences, monitoring of airworthiness and maintenance standards of aircraft registered in Hong Kong, inspection of aircraft maintenance organisations, supervision of light aircraft and helicopter operations, and safety oversight of foreign airline operators at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).
During the year, the aviation industry continued to recover and airlines gradually sped up the resumption of their flight services. To assist the industry in addressing challenges related to service resumption, the FSAD took a facilitating yet prudent approach to oil the wheels of the resumption plans of Hong Kong AOC holders by providing them advance regulatory guidance and prioritising various regulatory oversight activities for them. The focuses of FSAD's regulatory actions were to ensure the airworthiness of aircraft, the operational readiness and competency of the aviation personnel, and to ascertain the service resumption plans of Hong Kong AOC holders were in line with the relevant safety guidance and requirements of the CAD, ICAO and the States of the aircraft manufacturers as well as the aircraft manufacturers themselves.
As of 31 March 2023, there were eight Hong Kong AOC holders, namely:
AHK Air Hong Kong Limited
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited
Greater Bay Airlines Company Limited
Heliservices (Hong Kong) Limited
Hong Kong Air Cargo Carrier Limited
Hong Kong Airlines Limited
Hong Kong Express Airways Limited
Sky Shuttle Helicopters Limited
The safety performance and operating standards of Hong Kong AOC holders are monitored by the division under the risk management principle through a comprehensive surveillance programme by means of inspections and audits. With the easing of the pandemic and gradual recovery of the aviation industry, the inspectorate staff of the Flight Standards Office carried out 118 flight operations and cabin safety inspections during the year. They also conducted 174 compliance inspections on the other operational aspects of the AOC holders, including ramp inspections, operational records inspection, assessment of training courses, and routine monitoring of Authorised Examiners/Approved Person. In addition, a total of 32 flight simulators, located worldwide and in Hong Kong, were evaluated and approved for use by local airlines. The division was also tasked with the responsibility of monitoring the non-specialised operations of the Government Flying Service's (GFS) helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
The Airworthiness Office (AWO) monitors the maintenance and airworthiness standards of all Hong Kong registered aircraft. With a team of experienced Airworthiness Officers, the office carries out regular AOC line station audits, approved maintenance and design/production organisation audits, and aircraft surveys locally in Hong Kong and in cities in the Mainland, India, Middle East, other parts of Asia, Europe and the United States, for continual monitoring of the AOC holders, approval of maintenance and design/production organisations and issue of Certificates of Airworthiness for Hong Kong registered aircraft.
The AWO continued to monitor all Hong Kong approved aircraft and aircraft component maintenance organisations regularly through hangar surveys, company audits and product audits. As of 31 March 2023, there were 32 Hong Kong approved maintenance organisations. Major maintenance companies, including Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited (HAECO), Hong Kong Aero Engine Services Limited, and Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Company Limited, are regulated through continuous audits and regular visits.
As of 31 March 2023, there were six HKAR-147 Aircraft Maintenance Training Organisations located in Hong Kong and the Mainland approved to provide basic and specific aircraft type training for the maintenance of Hong Kong registered aircraft.
As of 31 March 2023, a total of 11 HKAR-21 Design and Production Organisations were approved to provide certification of aircraft related products/parts including their design and production.
As of 31 March 2023, there were six HKAR-183 Organisations and three HKAR-181 Organisations approved to carry out airworthiness related activities in support of the issue and renewal of Certificates of Airworthiness to aircraft respectively.
(Between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022)
| Certificate of Airworthiness issued | 13 |
| Certificate of Airworthiness renewed | 282 |
| Certificate of Airworthiness withdrawn | 18 |
| Major Modification approved | 9 |
| Approved Aircraft Maintenance Organisations | 32 |
| Approved Aircraft Maintenance Training Organisations | 6 |
| Approved Design and Production Organisations | 11 |
| Approved HKAR-183 Organisations | 6 |
| Approved HKAR-181 Organisations | 3 |
During 2022-23, the Personnel Licensing Office (PELO) processed 1 390 applications, including initial grant and renewal of flight crew licences, aircraft and instrument ratings, language proficiency endorsements and conversion of foreign flight crew licences into Hong Kong licences. To meet industry demand for conducting flight crew examinations in non-CAD premises, the CAD authorised operators' in-house and overseas examination centres for pilots and cadets under training at approved training organisations respectively. During the year, the PELO and the authorised examination centres processed 2 455 flight crew licensing written examinations. In addition, 3 697 medical certificates were issued to holders/applicants of Hong Kong flight crew licences or air traffic controller's licences.
As of 31 March 2023, the PELO processed 1 261 applications for initial issue and renewal of aircraft maintenance licences, and endorsement of additional aircraft types and licence categories in such licences. During the report period, 1 456 examination papers regarding aircraft maintenance licensing were processed by the PELO.
During the year, 12 aircraft were put on the Hong Kong Civil Aircraft Register. In the same period, one Airbus A300, one Airbus A320, one Airbus A321, ten Airbus A330, three Boeing 777, one Agusta AW139 helicopter, and one Gulfstream G650ER were removed from the Register. As of 31 March 2023, the total number of civil aircraft in the Hong Kong Civil Aircraft Register was 310, of which 283 were registered under Hong Kong AOC holders and the GFS as follows:
| Aircraft Type | Number |
|---|---|
| Airbus A300 | 8 |
| Airbus A320 | 27 |
| Airbus A321 | 25 |
| Airbus A330 | 70 |
| Airbus A350 | 48 |
| BAE 4100 | 1 |
| Boeing B737 | 3 |
| Boeing B747 | 20 |
| Boeing B777 | 58 |
| Bombardier CL-600-2B16 | 2 |
| Moravan Z 242 L | 1 |
| DA 42 NG | 1 |
| Helicopters | 19 |
A total of 343 Mandatory Occurrence Reports (MORs) were received from the industry during the year. Through close liaison with air operators, maintenance organisations, aerodrome operator and air traffic service provider, the MORs were investigated and followed up with the aim of enhancing aviation safety and preventing recurrence.
The division arranged a broad spectrum of training on flight operations and airworthiness for inspecting staff to ensure that they can keep abreast of the latest technical knowledge and industry development. These included training in the design and maintenance of specific types of aircraft and materials, simulator evaluation, operational approvals, auditing techniques as well as safety management. In addition, the officers participated in international and regional conferences, seminars and working group meetings to exchange and share experiences with international experts, in particular those assisting and facilitating the aviation industry to prepare for resumption of service in a timely and effective manner. Examples of these events included Asia Pacific Regional Aviation Safety Team Meeting, Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC)/Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Annual Flight Standards Joint Meeting and CAAC-Aviation Cooperation Programme Airline Operations Safety Symposium co-organised by the CAAC and the American Chamber of Commerce, C919 Maintenance Review Board Meeting, Asia-Pacific (APAC) Economic Cooperation Transport Working Group Remotely Piloted Aircraft Noise Project Workshop, FAA-APAC Bilateral Partners Dialogue Meeting, FAA-APAC Unmanned Aircraft Systems Certification Working Group Meeting and International Maintenance Review Board Policy Board Meeting.
The C919 is a large passenger jet aircraft developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, an aircraft manufacturer based in Shanghai. The CAD has been playing an active advisory role on the certification of C919 at the invitation of the CAAC, working closely in professional partnership over the years with the CAAC and Civil Aviation Authority of Macao under the tripartite Cooperative Arrangement on the operational evaluation of the C919 aircraft. In the past few years, colleagues from the division had the unique opportunity to work in aircraft type certification and operational evaluation activities of the C919, which include flight crew qualification specification, master minimum equipment list, scheduled maintenance requirements and passenger cabin emergency evacuation demonstration. The successful completion of the T5 Test for flight crew training and presentation of the Aircraft Evaluation Report by CAAC in November 2022 not only marked a monumental milestone for the certification project, but also signified CAD's contribution to the development of the country's aircraft manufacturing industry and close cooperation with our Mainland counterparts.
