Press Release

Issued by Flightworx Aviation.

September 5, 2016

Research from Flightworx Aviation Ltd has revealed a 'head in the sand' mentality amongst non-commercial flight operators towards the new EASA Part-NCC regulations, with many compliance declarations still outstanding.

The regulations, which came into force last week, affect all non-commercial operators flying a complex motor-powered aircraft, whose place of business is located in an EASA member state, and focus on bringing the safety standards of non-commercial operators up to the commercial level. Failure to comply runs the risk of financial and operational complications, including grounded aircraft and ineffective insurance cover.

Flightworx's research was informed by in-house workshops that the flight support company held to advise operators on the changes being implemented by Part-NCC. These workshops uncovered a mixed response to the new regulations. While some operators had already taken positive steps towards ensuring compliance, amongst others scepticism and apathy were prevalent. 

Eduard Ciofu, air operations regulations manager, EASA, says, “In most cases, no prior certification is required; this does not mean such non-commercial operations are not overseen. Competent authorities need to include NCC operations in their oversight programmes and must determine the intensity of the oversight activities depending on the nature, complexity and safety performance of each operator.”

“Safety is the most important asset for air operators, therefore the new rules introduced by part-NCC put significant emphasis on the operator's management system. This means that safety hazards need to be continuously identified, and the resulting risks need to be managed.”

While some private operators have yet to declare compliance with the new regulations, Flightworx has prioritised the change, to provide operators with a suite of solutions and the support they need to declare and maintain full compliance. This includes providing operations manuals, an effective management system, crew rostering and journey logging, regulatory advice and ongoing compliance monitoring.

Andy Shaw, managing director, Flightworx, says, “Flightworx is well placed to help and advise private operators with regard to Part-NCC. We have been working hard to ensure that our clients are aware of the changes and that the regulatory shift is smooth. We are fully committed to helping our operators navigate these complex, but important changes and we've got the expertise in-house to bring anyone up to compliance”