SARI Part M Working Group Meeting
in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Following the successful SARI Part 145 WGM in Maldives, SARI has embarked on a comprehensive series of activities geared toward updating and revising Airworthiness regulations. These initiatives are strategically designed to realign the Air regulations of the SARI Member States (MS) with the latest revisions and updates within the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Airworthiness regulations. This proactive approach ensures synchronization and compliance with the most recent industry standards, fostering enhanced safety and operational efficiency within the SARI framework.

 

SARI initiated the phase of updating Part M Air regulations of the MS and organized an activity related to Part M Working Group Meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka from December 13 to 15, 2023. The main objective was to provide a comprehensive information, promote knowledge exchange, and address practical implementation issues to support the successful adoption of the amended Part M rules in the SARI region. 

 

The Working Group Meeting aimed to achieve the following objectives:

• Present the current EU Part-M Implementing Rules, as well as the upcoming changes. 

• Review the differences between the existing SARI Part M requirements and identify the gap, leading to the development of implementation action plan in the subsequent period. 

• Provide practical guidance to ensure the effective implementation of the amended rules in the region. 

• Facilitate discussions on the challenges faced by the civil aviation authorities and the industry regarding the implementation of the amended Part M. 

• Improve understanding of EU regulations and their development based on the safety risks identified in the European Aviation Safety Plan (EPAS). 

 

Throughout this three-day event, substantial involvement was observed not just from the Civil Aviation Authorities of the MS but also from diverse industry stakeholders from Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Pakistan. The considerable revisions and amendments introduced by EASA in Part M regulations added immense significance to this assembly. It presented a pivotal opportunity for SARI Working Group Members to actively participate in discussions, exchange perspectives on proposed Regulation amendments, and acquire expertise, thereby fostering a holistic comprehension of the changing dynamics within this field. The expert presented SARI Part M regulations status and SARI process and procedures for the amendments of the regulations including a brief introduction of the main changes introduced in EASA Part M, their classification and assessment of the impact on the industry and competent authorities. Furthermore, participating SARI MS presented their status on Part M and the expert gave further recommendations and a follow up which may enhance collaboration, improve regulatory processes, and promote a harmonization of safety practices in the South Asian region, ultimately contributing to the advancement of aviation safety. The meeting provided participants with a clear understanding of various key aspects of the recent Part M changes, including the introduction of Part-CAMO, management system requirements, EASA procedures for assessing management systems (MSAT), risk-based and performance-based oversight, general aviation roadmap and introduction of Part-ML and Part-CAO, and the processes/methods of transposition and updating of EU regulations.

 

The activity hosted 22 participants from which 1 CAA Bhutan representative, 2 CAA Nepal representatives, 1 CAA Maldives representative, 5 CAA Sri Lanka representatives and 13 industry representatives from which 2 from Pakistan and 6 from Maldives, 5 from Sri Lanka. SARI team was represented by: SARI AIR Expert Mr. Asmir Kruhovic and SARI Project Coordinator Mr. Muhammad Zahid Bhatti.