Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
16 June 2006
MEDIA RELEASE
For further information contact:
Bill Sommer Tel: 04 560 9411 or
027 546 8216
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International success for New Zealand aviation
The United States has endorsed the quality and skill of New Zealand-designed and certified large transport aircraft repairs and modifications in a major new agreement.
The new deal, signed last Thursday, means the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will now accept repairs and certain modifications on large aircraft that have been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The new deal is huge for industry and positions New Zealand as one of just four countries who have earned this recognition in bilateral agreements with the United States (along with the UK, Germany and Australia).
Air New Zealand's Design Engineering Manager Michael Pervan says the new agreement will save the company a substantial amount of time and money.
"At the end of an aircraft lease, we won't have to go and revalidate any repairs and modifications we may have done on the aircraft with the FAA," Michael said.
"When we do design engineering, for either Air NZ or third parties, we won't have to hire the services of an FAA specialist to approve each repair or interior modification. The certification we receive from the CAA will be considered equivalent.
"The agreement adds huge credibility to our interior design modifications and is an endorsement on the quality and technical competence of New Zealand aeronautical engineering," Michael said.
Carol Thompson, a Director of Flight Interiors in Auckland says the achievement is significant for parts of the aviation sector and is a good example of CAA working with industry for the benefit of New Zealand.
"The process took the CAA and FAA two years to complete from initial agreement in principle. This sounds like a long time, but is actually very quick for these kinds of arrangements.
"We look forward to CAA progressing agreements with other regulators."
The agreement is a revision of the procedures under the existing US / NZ Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement. It extends to acceptance of all repairs to small and large transport aeroplanes, plus modifications to cabin interiors. It also creates streamlined acceptance of modifications to electrical equipment and wiring installations, avionics systems, communications systems and in-flight entertainment systems.
CAA Acting Director Steve Douglas said the new agreement meant demonstrating through a detailed process that the FAA could have full confidence in the CAA's processes for aircraft certification, design and repair.
"The agreement is clear recognition from the largest aviation regulator in the world that the CAA's processes for certification of these aircraft designs and repairs are of the highest order," Steve said.
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