FAA Plans to Cancel U.S. Guidance on Obtaining EASA 145 Credentials

The FAA is seeking to cancel Advisory Circular (AC) 145-11A (Repair Station Guidance for Compliance with the Safety Agreement between the United States and the European Union). ASA plans to respond to the FAA with support for the proposed cancellation, but we would like your input, to ensure that our position represents the wishes of the industry.

This advisory circular explains to a U.S.-based repair station how to apply for EASA-145 credentials. The advisory circular is based on the provisions of the FAA-EASA Maintenance Annex Guidance (MAG). Therefore, if the advisory circular is cancelled, the industry can still rely on the instructions found in the Maintenance Annex Guidance.

The FAA has identified four reasons for proposing to cancel AC 145-11A:

1. Redundancy and Risk of Inconsistency: In most instances where substantive guidance is provided, the advisory circular references the Maintenance Annex Guidance which means that the AC 145-11A is imply duplicative.   Maintaining both documents creates the potential for inconsistency, confusion, and misinterpretation, which could undermine the effective implementation of the bilateral agreement.

2. Resource Efficiency: FAA resources are better directed toward the timely update of the Maintenance Annex Guidance rather than maintaining a separate AC that is slower to revise and more likely to become outdated.

3. International Harmonization: Reliance on the Maintenance Annex Guidance as the single source of guidance promotes greater clarity, consistency, and harmonization for certificate holders operating under the agreement.

4. Obsolescence: AC 145-11A currently contains obsolete content. The Maintenance Annex Guidance is updated frequently and keeping the advisory circular current is difficult.

ASA is currently leaning toward support of the FAA’s position. If you have a reason for maintaining the separate Advisory Circular (AC) 145-11A, or if you have any comments about the FAA’s plans, then please the Association know by August 17, 2026.