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Under development
CASR Part 129 – Air operator certification - foreign operators

Parts 129 and 119 of the new Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASRs) both deal with the issuing of Air Operator's Certificates (AOCs) to air operators — Part 129 is for foreign operators, 119 for Australian operators.

Part 129 will prescribe the requirements for foreign operators operating foreign registered aircraft to, within or from Australian territory on air transport operations that are not regulated domestic flights. Amendment to the regulations relating to the issue of Foreign Aircraft Air Operator's Certificates is necessary because:

  • Current requirements relating to obtaining an AOC have been identified as deficient in a number of areas and changes to the law will be proposed as a consequence;
  • AOC requirements need to be integrated with and formatted similarly to the other CASR Parts under development; and
  • Consolidating requirements applicable to foreign operations to Australia is desirable to improve safety.

Australia is one of several nations that issues AOCs to foreign operators and CASR Part 129 will harmonise with other overseas regulations where appropriate.

Who Part 129 affects

There are currently 70 foreign carriers who will be required to review the requirements contained in CASR Part 129 and seek the issue of a Foreign Aircraft AOC from CASA. Most should already have these requirements in place.

Key proposals

  • A standard that mandates a common crew member language and that requires flight crew members to be able to communicate with ATC in English;
  • The use of Operations Specifications that act as a schedule to the AOC;
  • A clear assignment of the CASR Part 91 general flight rules that apply to Part 129 operators in Australia;
  • The refinement of maintenance and airworthiness requirements applicable to aircraft operated by CASR Part 129 operators;
  • The consolidation in one Part of the CASRs of mandatory operating requirements including radio, navigation, ACAS, and GPWS equipment fitment and usage.

CASR Part 129