Self-study option for removing Part 66 aircraft engineer licence exclusions – (CD 2517MS)

This consultation provided details of amendments we propose to make to regulation 66.072 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR) 1998 and the Part 66 Manual of Standards (MOS).

The consultation has now closed, and a summary of the feedback is provided below.

About this consultation

This consultation asked for respondents to provide their comments on a proposed amendment to regulation 66.072 of CASR that would:

• enable CASA to remove an exclusion from a licence based on evidence received from either an Part 147 Maintenance Training Organisation (MTO) or from a licence holder
• specify the types of evidence CASA must receive from an applicant to demonstrate the applicant has met the knowledge, competency and experience requirements outlined in the Part 66 MOS

and on proposed amendments to section 66.A.70 of the Part 66 MOS to:

• specify the requirements for basic knowledge, competency, and the practical experience necessary for exclusion removal via the self-study pathway.

This consultation also asked respondents for comments on amendments to update the type rated aircraft types and type rating endorsement tables provided in Appendix IX of the Part 66 MOS.

A total of 17 responses were received. Of the 17 respondents, 14 identified themselves as a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer (LAME), one identified as an approved maintenance training organisation (CASR Part 147 MTO) and 2 identified as an approved maintenance organisation (CASR Part 145 AMO, or CAR 30 approval holder).

Thirteen respondents consented to having their responses/submissions made public, with 4 respondents requesting their responses/submissions remain confidential.

Of the responses received, many expressed support for the 3 proposed amendments.

There were some comments received that did not relate to the proposed changes to this regulation. Some respondents did not provide any feedback with respect to the proposed amendments to the lists of type-rated aircraft under Appendix IX of the Part 66 MOS.

Summary of feedback

Most comments received were in relation to the proposed amendments to regulation 66.072 of CASR and the related changes to section 66.A.70 of the Part 66 MOS, to allow licensed aircraft maintenance engineers to use the self-study training pathway to remove exclusions from their Part 66 licence. Many respondents expressed their support of the proposal.

General comments received in support of the proposal stated the proposed amendments were well constructed and that providing an exclusion removal self-study pathway for applicants would be a good step forward for the industry.

Some comments stated:  

• the inclusion of clear standards for knowledge, competency, and experience ensures that safety and regulatory integrity remain uncompromised while providing engineers with a flexible and accessible option to progress their licences
• the proposal being a timely and practical solution to address the skills shortage in aviation, particularly in regional areas where access to Maintenance Training Organisations (MTOs) is limited.

Concerns were also raised about a perception that this would further increase the lowering of standards in aviation and would remove the need for companies to train individuals and put the onus on the individual to train themselves.

Based on the comments received, we will proceed with the proposed amendment to regulation 66.072 of CASR and the related amendments to the Part 66 MOS.

The proposal will reintroduce a level of flexibility for aircraft maintenance engineer training and licensing without decreasing any existing training and experience standards.

Commencement of this proposal to permit self-study to be used for exclusion removal is expected to occur during 2026 with timing dependent on the legislative change process.

The proposed updates to the type-rated aircraft types and type rating endorsement tables provided in Appendix IX of the Part 66 MOS will be made in a separate Part 66 Manual of Standards Amendment Instrument before the end of 2025.