Flight Standards and Airworthiness

The Flight Standards and Airworthiness Division (FSAD) is responsible for the grant of Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) and the monitoring of all AOC holders to ensure their compliance with the Standards and Recommended Practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on flight safety and airworthiness.

Other functions of the division include the issue of flight crew and aircraft maintenance licences, monitoring of airworthiness and maintenance standards of Hong Kong-registered aircraft, inspection of aircraft maintenance organisations, supervision of light aircraft and helicopter operations, and safety oversight of the operations of foreign air operators at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

The aviation industry sustained robust growth throughout the year, with a notable increase in the demand for pilots and associated training among local air operators. Alongside its regulatory duties, the FSAD has been proactively addressing the industry's needs and providing facilitations for Hong Kong AOC holders in a timely manner. In response to Hong Kong AOC holders' demand for pilots and their training needs, the division, in accordance with the established procedures, approved additional flight simulators and training courses. Meanwhile, to promote the development of low-altitude economy in Hong Kong, the CAD has also commenced reviewing and updating civil aviation legislation and the associated regulatory framework.

Flight Standards Office

Issue of AOC

As of March 31, 2025, there were seven Hong Kong AOC holders, namely:

• AHK Air Hong Kong Limited
• Cathay Pacific Airways Limited
• Greater Bay Airlines Company Limited
• Heliservices (Hong Kong) Limited
• Hong Kong Air Cargo Carrier Limited
• Hong Kong Airlines Limited
• Hong Kong Express Airways Limited

Safety Oversight

The safety performance and operating standards of Hong Kong AOC holders are monitored by the division under the risk management principle through a comprehensive surveillance programme involving inspections and audits. During the year, the inspectorate staff of the Flight Standards Office carried out 120 flight operations and cabin safety inspections. They also conducted 138 compliance inspections on other operational aspects of the AOC holders, including ramp inspections, station inspections, operational records inspections, assessment of training courses, and routine monitoring of training and examining personnel. In addition, a total of 32 flight simulators located in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas were evaluated and approved for use by local airlines. The division was also tasked with monitoring the non-specialised operations of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft under the Government Flying Service (GFS).

Airworthiness Office

The Airworthiness Office (AWO) monitors the maintenance and airworthiness standards of all Hong Kong-registered aircraft. With a team of experienced Airworthiness Officers, the office carries out regular audits on AOC line stations, approved maintenance, training, and design/production organisations, as well as aircraft surveys in Hong Kong, Mainland and overseas cities, thereby ensuring the continual monitoring of AOC holders, approval of maintenance, training, and design/production organisations and issuance of Certificates of Airworthiness for Hong Kong-registered aircraft.

Aircraft Maintenance

The AWO continued to monitor all HKAR-145 aircraft and aircraft component maintenance organisations regularly through hangar surveys, organisation audits and product audits. As of March 31, 2025, there were 31 CAD-approved maintenance organisations, including major maintenance organisations such as Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited (HAECO), Hong Kong Aero Engine Services Limited, and China Aircraft Services Limited.

Aircraft Maintenance Training

As of March 31, 2025, seven HKAR-147 Aircraft Maintenance Training Organisations located in Hong Kong and the Mainland were approved to provide basic and specific aircraft type training for maintenance personnel providing maintenance services for Hong Kong-registered aircraft.

Design and Production of Aircraft and Related Products/Parts

As of March 31, 2025, a total of 10 HKAR-21 Design and Production Organisations were approved to provide certification of aircraft-related products/parts, including their design and production.

CAD Designated Organisations

As of March 31, 2025, five HKAR-183 Organisations and four HKAR-181 Organisations were approved to carry out airworthiness-related activities in support of the issuance and renewal of Certificates of Airworthiness to aircraft respectively.

Airworthiness Office Statistics

(Between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025)

Personnel Licensing Office

Flight Crew Licensing

During 2024-25, the Personnel Licensing Office (PELO) processed 4 773 applications, including initial grant and renewal of flight crew licences, inclusion of aircraft and instrument ratings, language proficiency endorsements and conversion of flight crew licences issued by ICAO Contracting States into Hong Kong licences. To meet industry demand for conducting flight crew examinations in non-CAD premises, the CAD authorised air operators' in-house and overseas examination centres for pilots and cadets under training at approved training organisations respectively. During the report period, the PELO and the authorised examination centres processed 10 978 flight crew licensing written examinations. In addition, 4 843 medical certificates were issued to holders/applicants of Hong Kong flight crew licences or air traffic controller's licences.

Aircraft Maintenance Licensing

During 2024-25, the PELO processed 816 applications for initial issue and renewal of aircraft maintenance licences, and endorsement of additional aircraft types and licence categories in such licences. During the report period, 1 149 examination papers regarding aircraft maintenance licensing were processed by the PELO.

Personnel Licensing Information System

To facilitate the rapid development of Hong Kong's aviation industry, the CAD launched the "Personnel Licensing Information System (PLIS)" in July 2024, marking a significant step in the digital transformation of the licensing process for flight crew, air traffic controllers and aircraft maintenance engineers. Through the PLIS, users can submit applications online, make payments and track application status in real time. Not only can the digital platform optimise the workflow of licence application and communication channels between licence holders/applicants and the CAD, it also facilitates users' management and retrieval of application and licence records anytime and anywhere. As at the end of March 2025, the CAD had handled more than 8 000 PLIS user registration applications and more than 15 000 personnel licensing online applications.

Aircraft Register

During the year, 23 aircraft were added to the Hong Kong Civil Aircraft Register, while three Airbus A300s, two Airbus A320s, eight Airbus A330s, three Boeing B777s, and one Gulfstream G650 were removed from the Register. As of March 31, 2025, the total number of civil aircraft in the Hong Kong Civil Aircraft Register was 323, of which 301 were registered under Hong Kong AOC holders or the GFS as follows:

Occurrence Reporting

A total of 638 Mandatory Occurrence Reports (MORs) were received from the industry during the year. Through close liaison with air operators, maintenance organisations, aerodrome operators and air traffic service providers, the MORs were investigated and followed up with the aim of enhancing aviation safety and preventing recurrence.

Continuous Training for Inspecting Staff

The division arranged a broad spectrum of training on flight operations and airworthiness for inspecting staff to ensure that they keep abreast of the latest technical knowledge and industry development. These included training in the design and maintenance of specific types of aircraft and materials, simulator evaluation, operational approvals, auditing techniques as well as safety management. In addition, the officers participated in various international and regional conferences, seminars and working group meetings to exchange and share experiences with international experts. Examples of these events included International Maintenance Review Board Policy Board Meeting, ICAO Advanced Air Mobility Study Group Meeting, ICAO Advanced Air Mobility Symposium, Asia-Pacific Bilateral Partners Dialogue Meeting, and the Asia Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety.

Launch of C919 flight service between Hong Kong and Shanghai

The C919 aircraft is a jet aircraft developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC). At the invitation of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the CAD has been actively participating in its aircraft certification project over the years, contributing to the development of China's aircraft manufacturing industry.

With the unwavering support from the CAAC and COMAC, China Eastern Airlines (CEA) launched its inaugural C919 flight to Hong Kong on June 1, 2024, operating a non-scheduled flight between Shanghai Hongqiao and Hong Kong. This was the first commercial flight of the C919 aircraft to visit cities outside Chinese Mainland. The HKIA can fully support the maintenance of China's home-grown aircraft in Hong Kong, as local aircraft maintenance organisations have rich experience in aircraft maintenance and well-established supporting facilities. Building on the above experience, CEA started operating a scheduled daily round-trip flight between Shanghai Hongqiao and Hong Kong using the C919 aircraft on January 1, 2025.

Passengers can now take the C919 aircraft from HKIA to Chinese Mainland. The C919 flight service fully leverages Hong Kong's advantages as an international aviation hub. This will allow more travellers to learn about the extraordinary achievements of China's aviation development, and also bring the breakthroughs and achievements of China's aviation manufacturing industry to the world stage.

Deepening Co-operation with the CAAC and the Civil Aviation Authority Macao (AACM)

To seize the opportunities arising from the National 14th Five-Year Plan and the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the CAAC, CAD and AACM had been maintaining close collaboration in various aspects over the years and had signed a number of co-operative agreements. In order to expand the co-operation in operational and airworthiness certification, the three parties signed a Co-operation Arrangement on Joint Operation Management (Co-operation Arrangement) and an Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding on Closer Co-operation on Airworthiness Certification (Amendment to MOU) in Macao in November 2024.

Through the signing of the Co-operation Arrangement, a platform was established for operational management co-operation to facilitate safety information exchanges and optimise the operational certification process. As for the Amendment to MOU, it extended the co-operation of airworthiness certification and maintenance management to cover mutual acceptance of Type Certificates, airworthiness management of unmanned aircraft, and aviation fuel and chemical management, which in turn enhanced aviation safety and environmental protection.

Not only did the Co-operation Arrangement and Amendment to MOU deepen the level of co-operation among the three authorities, they also optimised management procedures and safety oversight, thereby supporting the sustainable development of the aviation industry across the three places.

Development of Low-altitude Economy (LAE) in Hong Kong

To tie in with the overall national development strategies, the Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address a series of initiatives to foster the development of LAE in Hong Kong, including the amendment of relevant regulations to facilitate technical trials. During the year, the division commenced reviewing and amending the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 to facilitate the trial operations of unconventional aircraft. The consultation exercise on the relevant legislative amendments concluded in March 2025 and garnered support from the industry. The division is studying the introduction of a new and customised legislation for unconventional aircraft in the next phase, and will continue to keep in view the latest developments in the Mainland and other major regions.

Flight Demonstration over Victoria Harbour to commemorate a century of Kai Tak's legacy

To mark the centenary of Hong Kong's aviation history that took flight from Kai Tak, and in conjunction with an international sports event held at Kai Tak Sports Park for the first time, the CAD, together with relevant government bureaux and departments, supported the event organiser in staging a flight demonstration over Victoria Harbour in March 2025. For this flight demonstration, the CAD offered technical support to the airline concerned, including conducting safety assessments, reviewing and approving flight proposals, and observing relevant flight simulator training sessions, so as to ensure compliance with flight safety standards.