Exemptions and relief measures: COVID-19
We are actively managing the situation to ensure the ongoing safety of aviation and to support industry’s return to normal safety assurance activities.
Many of the COVID-19 relief measures in place to provide support industry have expired – in particular, CASA EX57/20. But there are a few exceptions.
On this page
Aircraft maintenance engineers
Temporary measures will continue to provide relief to candidates who are part-way through a training and examination program.
- The end date of the CASA Basics has been extended to 30 June 2021. Visit the becoming a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME) page for more details on the use of CASA Basics
- To book an exam, visit Aspeq exams.
- CASA EX97/20: Aircraft Engineer Licence and Rating Training and Qualification (Extension of Time Due to COVID-19) Exemption 2020 – has expired. If your ability to undertake training continues to be, or has been impacted by COVID at the time of application for a Part 66 licence, please email at ame.licensing@casa.gov.au
- CASA EX24/21 – Aircraft Engineer Licence (Basic Practical Maintenance Experience Requirement) Exemption 2021 – in effect until 31 January 2024, unless repealed sooner.
Airworthiness
General exemptions for the airworthiness of aircraft continue to be in place. This includes Part 42.G certificate holders (CAMO), Part 145, Part 147, Part 21 and CAR 30 organisations.
- CASA EX94/20 – Exemption from Regulation 42.150 (Time allowed to vary approved maintenance program) Instrument 2020 – in effect effect until 31 May 2023 unless repealed sooner
- CASA EX92/20 — Materials Flammability Airworthiness Standards (Medical Isolation Transportation Devices) Instrument 2020 – in effect effect until 31 May 2023 unless repealed sooner
- CASA EX65/20 — Extension of Airworthiness Review Certificate (COVID-19) Exemption 2020 – in effect effect until 31 May 2023 unless repealed sooner
- Guidance on exemption instrument - extension of airworthiness review certificate
- Advisory Circular AC 21-2 – Standard Certificates of Airworthiness
- Advisory Circular AC 21-3 – Special Certificates of Airworthiness
Flight examiner proficiency checks
To help flight examiners manage their return to their pre-COVID-19 proficiency check schedule we have made a new exemption (CASA EX19/21).
The new exemption extends the timeframe for some flight examiners yet to complete a proficiency check. For more detail on how it may impact you go the Notices for flight training operators and examiners page.
The previous exemption (included in CASA EX57/20) offering COVID relief has expired.
Aeronautical Knowledge Examinations
The exemption (included in CASA EX 83/20) applies to a person who:
- between 16 March 2018 and 15 March 2020, passed at least one part of an AKE for a flight crew licence, rating or endorsement
- has gained that pass, or passes, within the period specified above, your window for that pass, or passes will now be two years and six months.
The instrument operates by exempting a person from compliance with the flight crew licensing rules to the extent that – for the person to be taken to have passed the examination – the person must pass all parts of the examination within a period of two years.
To meet the exemption’s eligibility criteria outlined above, you must pass all parts of your AKE by 15 September 2022 at which time the exemption is revoked.
Note: If you have not passed all parts of your exam by this date, the balance of your passes will then be subject to the two-year window requirement.
In addition to passing the AKE for the licence or rating, you must still pass the relevant flight test required under the flight crew licensing rules for the licence or rating.
- CASA EX83/20 — Aeronautical Knowledge Examinations (Extension of Time Due to COVID-19) Exemption 2020
RePL training courses – transitional arrangements
We amended Part 101 MOS with a transitional provision. This allows for students who commenced a RePL course between 3 April 2020 and 10 October 2020 to have until 30 April 2021 to fully complete all aspects of the course and its examinations and assessments, under the relevant syllabi. Any course commenced on or from 10 October 2020 must be completed against the new relevant syllabi. Only training organisations that have been approved by CASA against the new MOS training requirements may use this transitional provision.
RePL Training Instructors
We extended the effective date for Part 101 MOS paragraph 2.30 (2) (c) in Division 2.7 RePL training course instructors. This extension provides RePL training instructors an additional 18 months, to the start of 10 April 2022, to obtain instructor qualifications. These are in addition to the existing technical and licence requirements.