Chapter 7: Air Operations

Commercial and non-commercial operations

How an aircraft is used decides who may maintain it. The operations regulations sit mainly in CAR Section 3 (air transport — certification of operators) and CAR Section 8 (aircraft operations — Series O Part II for commercial air transport aeroplanes, Part III for general aviation aeroplanes, Parts IV and V for helicopters).

Air Operator Certificates and Permits

Scheduled — AOC (CAR Section 3 Series C Part II)

• A person or company meeting Schedule XI of the Aircraft Rules first obtains a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (valid 3 years), then follows CAP 3100 (Air Operator Certification Manual) to obtain the AOC from DGCA; security clearance comes through BCAS/MHA.
• Scheduled services use multi-engine aeroplanes of at least 5 700 kg (helicopters 3 175 kg).
• Fleet of at least 5 aircraft (purchased or dry-leased, registered in India, C of A in normal passenger category) — operations may start with one aircraft, reaching five within one year.
• Paid-up capital, e.g. ₹50 crore for up to 5 aircraft of 40 000 kg or more.
• An Accountable Manager with corporate authority over financial and human resources, and post holders accepted by DGCA — including the Continuing Airworthiness Manager (meets CAR-M requirements) and the Quality Manager.
• Renewal applied for at least 90 days before expiry (security-clearance renewal 180 days before).

Non-scheduled — Air Operator Permit (Section 3 Series C Part III)

Non-scheduled operators (charter and air taxi) hold an Air Operator Permit; paid-up capital depends on fleet size (₹2 crore up to 2 aircraft, ₹5 crore up to 5, ₹10 crore up to 10, ₹15 crore above 10). Scheduled commuter operators follow Series C Part XII and CAP 3300.

The operator's continuing airworthiness duties

CAR Section 8 Series O Part II, Chapter 8 (mirroring ICAO Annex 6) sets out what a CAT operator must do:

• Ensure each aeroplane is maintained in an airworthy condition, operational and emergency equipment is serviceable, and the C of A remains valid.
• Operate an aeroplane only if it is maintained and released by a CAR-145 organisation.
• Employ a person or group (the Continuing Airworthiness Manager) to ensure maintenance follows the CAME.
• Provide a CAME acceptable to DGCA (designed with human factors principles) and a maintenance programme approved by DGCA.
• Keep maintenance records:
  • total time in service of the aeroplane and life-limited components, status of mandatory continuing airworthiness information (ADs), modifications and repairs, time since overhaul, and maintenance programme compliance — for 90 days after the unit is permanently withdrawn from service;
  • detailed records supporting each maintenance release — for one year after the release.
• On a permanent change of operator, the records are transferred to the new operator.
• For aeroplanes above 5 700 kg, monitor and report continuing airworthiness information and obtain information from the type certificate holder.

Special approvals with maintenance consequences

EDTO (ETOPS) — Section 8 Series S Part I

Extended Diversion Time Operations cover flights beyond a threshold time from an en-route alternate. DGCA thresholds: 60 minutes for scheduled twins (and NSOP twins with 20 or more seats), 90 minutes for NSOP twins with 19 seats or fewer, and 120 minutes for aeroplanes with more than two engines. The airframe/engine combination must be certificated to FAR 25 / CS-25 or equivalent. Maintenance requirements include:

• an EDTO maintenance programme added to the approved continuous airworthiness maintenance programme, and EDTO-qualified maintenance staff;
• a pre-departure service check immediately before every EDTO flight, certified by an authorised signatory;
• no dual maintenance on the same or substantially similar EDTO-significant systems in one visit (or, if unavoidable, with separate verification);
• oil-consumption monitoring (engines and APU if required), APU in-flight start programme, engine condition monitoring and reliability reporting;
• in-flight shutdown rate targets: 0.05 per 1 000 engine hours for EDTO up to 120 minutes, 0.03 up to 180 minutes, 0.01 beyond 180 minutes.

All-weather operations — CAT II and CAT III (Sec 8 Series B Part I and Series C Part I)

Low-visibility approvals require the aircraft to be certificated for the operation and the operator to have a maintenance programme for the relevant systems (autoland, flight guidance, radio altimeters, displays), reliability monitoring and procedures to downgrade the aircraft's capability when equipment is defective.

RVSM — Section 8 Series S Part II

Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum applies between FL290 and FL410 inclusive, reducing separation from 2 000 ft to 1 000 ft (Indian airspace since 27 November 2003). Aircraft need two independent altitude measurement systems, an automatic altitude control system holding ±50 ft, an altitude alert system (±300 ft, or ±200 ft for types applied for after 9 April 1997), an altitude-reporting transponder and ACAS II. Approval covers airworthiness (including continued airworthiness), operations and height monitoring; the maintenance programme must protect the altimetry system error budget (static ports, skin waviness near them, air data systems).

PBN and B-RNAV — Sec 8 Series S Part IV and OC 7 of 2014

RNAV 5 (formerly B-RNAV, basic area navigation) requires the aircraft to keep lateral and longitudinal navigation accuracy within ±5 NM for 95% of the flight time. The operator needs approval of the aircraft's navigation systems and must maintain them to the approved standard.

The Minimum Equipment List (Sec 2 Series B Part I)

• Rule 60(5): no aircraft is released with defects unless they are covered by the approved MEL.
• The operator prepares the MEL from the MMEL of the State of design, tailored to its aircraft, routes and procedures. The MEL must not be less restrictive than the MMEL, must not conflict with the flight manual, and includes the manufacturer's (O) and (M) procedures from the Dispatch Deviation Guide.
• Approved by the Regional Airworthiness Office after airworthiness and flight operations (FOI) scrutiny; revisions submitted within 90 days of an MMEL revision. A copy is carried on board as part of the Operations Manual.
• The MEL does not list items that must always work (wings, flight controls, complete engines, landing gear) nor non-airworthiness items (galley, entertainment). Anything affecting airworthiness that is not in the MEL must be operative.

Intervals exclude the day the defect was recorded. The AME invoking the MEL must inform the pilot, enter it in the technical log, placard the inoperative item, and carry out the (M) procedure. MEL may be invoked by authorised certifying staff, or by an approved pilot (trained and authorised under 145.A.30(j)(4)) only for items needing no maintenance action. An AME need not certify, and a pilot need not accept, an aircraft considered unsafe, whatever the MEL says.

The Configuration Deviation List (CDL), usually an appendix to the flight manual, allows dispatch with specified secondary airframe or engine parts missing (fairings, access doors, seals), with any performance penalties applied.

Placards and markings

• Nationality and registration marks (Rule 37) and the fireproof owner's name/identification plate.
• Inoperative items deferred under the MEL are placarded in the flight deck and at the item.
• Emergency markings (exits, break-in areas, equipment locations) and passenger information placards must be present and legible as required by the type design and operational CARs.

Documents to be carried on board (Sec 2 Series X Part VII)

Rule 7(2) requires Indian aircraft to carry valid documents; Series X Part VII lists them, as applicable:

1. Certificate of Registration
2. Certificate of Airworthiness
3. Airworthiness Review Certificate
4. A document attesting noise certification
5. Air Operator Certificate / Permit
6. Flight crew licences
7. Aeromobile radio operation licence (radio station licence) for the radio apparatus
8. Journey log book (or approved equivalent)
9. Operations Manual
10. Minimum Equipment List
11. Flight Manual
12. Cabin Crew Manual
13. Cockpit and emergency checklists
14. Aeroplane search procedure checklist (least-risk bomb location)
15. Maintenance release / certificate of release to service
16. LOPA (layout of passenger accommodation)
17. Emergency and safety equipment layout
18. Route guides and navigation charts
19. Weight schedule
20. Load and trim sheet
21. Passenger list, cargo manifest and dangerous goods list
22. Insurance policy
23. Passenger safety briefing cards

Originals or copies attested by a DGCA officer are carried (or approved Electronic Flight Bag versions). If a document is with the authority for renewal, a document from the operator stating so is carried instead.

Chapter summary

• CAT: AOC/NSOP holder, CAMO + CAME, maintenance only by CAR-145. GA: owner responsible, wider choice of maintainer.
• Scheduled AOC: Schedule XI, multi-engine ≥ 5 700 kg aeroplanes, fleet of 5 (within 1 year), accountable manager, CAM and QM post holders; CAP 3100.
• Operator records: 90 days after permanent withdrawal (status records), 1 year after release (detailed records).
• EDTO threshold 60 min (twins, scheduled); pre-departure service check; no dual maintenance; oil monitoring.
• CAT II DH 100–200 ft, RVR ≥ 300 m; CAT IIIA DH < 100 ft, RVR ≥ 175 m; CAT IIIB DH < 50 ft, RVR 50–175 m. RVSM FL290–410, 1 000 ft. RNAV 5 ±5 NM 95%.
• MEL from MMEL, never less restrictive; approved by RAO; categories B 3, C 10, D 120 days; placard and inform pilot.
• Documents on board include C of R, C of A, ARC, noise document, radio licence, journey log, MEL, weight schedule, CRS.