CAA Surveillance
Surveillance is the term used to describe the CAA's monitoring of adherence to safety and security standards by participants in the aviation system.
How it Works
In 2007 the CAA launched a new risk-based Surveillance System. Every certificated aviation operator is rated according to the level of aviation safety risk they pose.
The ratings are either low, medium, moderate, or high.
Ratings reflect all of the information the CAA holds about each organisation. Examples are: audits, safety investigations, rule exemption requests, legal and enforcement actions, financial status, key people within the company, and CAA analysis of safety trends for that sector of the industry.
Ratings are updated when there are changes to the organisation, such as what the business does, who does the work, or the safety performance of both that business and other similar businesses in the aviation industry. There are 30 of these indicators.
Ratings are updated automatically each night by the CAA database, and may also be updated manually by technical staff when they have an interaction with the organisation. Every change is logged.
An organisation's rating dictates the level of surveillance and monitoring attention they receive from the CAA.