Part 21 Continued Airworthiness Obligations

TR24M02 | 2 days

Continued Airworthiness pertains to the post-certification airworthiness obligations which Design Approval Holders (i.e. Design Organisations) and Production Organisations have under Part 21, as well as other activities in sub-contract support to the CAMO. It effectively bridges the gap between the Initial Airworthiness and the Continuing Airworthiness phases. 

Upcoming Training

28 Apr - 29 Apr 2025

Virtual Classroom

£925.00 (excl. VAT)

27 Oct - 28 Oct 2025

Virtual Classroom

£925.00 (excl. VAT)

In-Company Training

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Delivered exclusively for your company

How will this course benefit me?

Continued Airworthiness is a frequently used term in Part 21, but not defined. The military, under the equivalent EMAR 21, describes it as “all tasks to be carried out to verify that the conditions under which a type certificate or a supplemental type certificate has been granted continue to be fulfilled at any time during its period of validity (Type Design)”. However, will also consider the scope of obligations associated with the term, and the obligations of the certificate holders for repairs and minor modifications. This course examines the obligations of approval holders and considers the practical and commercial implications of this potential overhead cost on their Processes/Procedures, Handbook/Exposition and the competence requirements for the execution of these duties.


Key areas of focus

This TR24M02 takes a practical approach to provide the necessary insight to ensure the intelligent adoption of the regulatory intent behind the Continued Airworthiness requirements contained in:

  • 21.A.3A:  The system for Collection, Investigation and Analysis of Data
  • 21.A.3B:   AD Support
  • 21.A.4:     DO-PO Collaboration for as long as parts are needed
  • 21.A.5:     Record Keeping
  • 21.A.6:     Manuals
  • 21.A.7:     Instructions for Continuing Airworthiness
  • 21.A.62:   OSD
  • 21.A.65:   Structural Integrity Monitoring


Is this course right for me?

This practitioner-level course is aimed mainly at Design Approval Holders, although Production Organisations also need to comply with 21.A.3A, parts of 21.A.3B, 21.A.4 and 21.A.5, so a dedicated course can be reduced to 1 day only.

Completing this course will ensure you understand the systems, processes and competence necessary to fulfil these obligations, whilst considering the commercial implications.

Note, with regards to:

  • 21.A.3A: The scope of this course is focused on product-related occurrences only (which might result in SB or AD action. It does not extend to occurrences impacting the performance of the organisation’s management system, see TR24M01 (DOA course) and TR14 (POA course).
  • 21.A.6&7: The scope of this course does not extend to Exploring any individual ICA or Manual, not the interface with the Maintenance Review Board and MSG3.  Refer EASA M-MRB-001 instead.
  • 21.A.62: The scope of this Section does not extend to reviewing the detailed content of any of the current  5x OSD Certification Specifications (CS).

This course can also be delivered in-company at your facilities and, if necessary, adapted to your exact requirements.

Prerequisites

A prerequisite for the course is a fair level of understanding of:

  • The layout and logic of Part 21 and:
  • The 21.A.239 Design Management System, or
  • The 21.A.139 Production Management System.

It is expected that DO representatives on this course would have read AMC 21.A.3B carefully before the course, to benefit from the 21.A.3B discussion to simplify it.


Course Details

Course format: This course is a balanced mix of group discussions, flipchart work and PowerPoint presentations. It can be provided in person or remotely via MS Teams.
Course level: Practitioner Level Training (P) is suitable for those who have worked in the subject for some time, are familiar with core terminologies and concepts and are looking to develop or update their level of knowledge and practical understanding.
Assessment process: No formal assessment. Formative feedback is provided by the facilitator.
Course size: 16 person maximum at our Aviation Safety Academy or on-site at your facility.

Frequently asked questions

What is Design Approval Holder?

It is the approved Design organization who is the holder of a type-certificate, restricted type-certificate, supplemental type-certificate, TSO authorisation, approval of a change to type-certificate or approval of a repair design.

Is this course suitable for a small to medium size organisation?

Yes; we look at the intent of the requirements and allow you to explore how to best apply the principles to the size of your organisation.

I work in the defence sector; is this suitable for me?

Yes – if following the EASA principles. For EMAR 21, see TR81M01 instead.  Many military organisations and authorities struggle with the Type Certificate Holder (TCH) construct in Part/EMAR 21, and the implications of the military taking on the TCH obligations.

Is this course suitable for National Aviation Authority surveyors (including Military Airworthiness Authorities adopting EMAR21)?

Yes, NAA’s would benefit from understanding the practical implications of the Continued Airworthiness obligations.  For those adopting EMAR21, this civil course will demonstrate the latest EASA intent, noting that EMAR21 lags Part 21 by up to 3 years.