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The Civil Aviation Department and the Transport Canada, Civil Aviation Directorate signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) known as "Technical Arrangement on Aircraft Maintenance" in Montreal on March 22 (Montreal time).
This MOU is an expansion of the memorandum signed in Hong Kong by both parties on December 5, 2005 and the new arrangement includes the mutual recognition of aircraft maintenance approval. It allows aircraft maintenance organisations in Hong Kong to provide maintenance service to aircraft registered in Canada without the need for additional approval from the Transport Canada, Civil Aviation Directorate (TCCA). Likewise, aircraft maintenance organisations in Canada may provide maintenance service to aircraft registered in Hong Kong.
The MOU was signed in Montreal by the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Mr Norman Lo, and the Director General of TCCA, Mr Merlin Preuss. Mr Lo said the reduction in the duplication of approval and oversight audit work by the authorities through the mutual recognition maximised the utilisation of resources of both the regulators and the industry. "This is extremely beneficial to the fast expanding aviation industry. It is one of our goals to extend the mutual recognition arrangement to other authorities in the foreseeable future," he said.
Mr Lo is currently leading a five-member CAD delegation in Montreal attending the Directors General of Civil Aviation Conference on Global Strategy for Aviation Safety from March 20 to 22.
Ends/Thursday, March 23, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:01
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