One of the newest regulations to come out of EASA is the requirement for ‘NCC’ operations called Part NCC which came into effect on 25 August 2016. It is a massive change for private aircraft owners and affects these owners in the European Union. So what does NCC mean, what is the new requirement and what do you need to do?
What Does NCC Stand For?
NCC stands for ‘Non Commercial Complex’ and in Europe it means an aircraft used in private operations with any of the following: a maximum take-off weight in excess of 5,700 KG, a turbojet engine, or an aircraft with a maximum seating capacity in excess of 19 passengers. This includes all jets in private operation. Part NCC has a significant impact upon a large portion of the aircraft flying in European airspace. In general, this is applicable to any aircraft whose registered office is in the EU, whose beneficial owners are based in the EU or whose beneficial owners’ main place of business or headquarters is in the EU.
Understanding What Part NCC Is
EASA determined that there was a significant difference between the regulatory work surrounding charter operations and private operations. They perceived that the private operations, traditionally having less regulatory requirements and therefore oversight, were a risk and their operation standards should be brought more into line with those aircraft that are on charter certificates. Private operations have had less oversight than charter operations and were allowed to operate at their own discretion far more than charter aircraft.
What the Part NCC requirement means is that NCC aircraft will have to create their own sets of operations manuals, safety management systems and procedures, and operate much more in accordance with the regulations currently applicable to charter operations. This creates a significant increase in the work required to operate a private aircraft and has some fairly far reaching effects in the future.
What This Means for Owners of NCC Aircraft
Owners need to make sure their crew is well aware of the new regulations and have incorporated them into their flight operations. Alternatively, a number of aircraft charter operators offer Part NCC management solutions to owners, as their current systems work very well for Part NCC operations and are a smooth and easy service to provide owners. For people with private operations, this may be a good option to pursue as it provides a quick and simple solution to what can be a burdensome requirement of time and paperwork.
Whether or not any of this extra regulation makes private aircraft operations any safer remains to be seen. But whether or not the logic of the new rules is sound, they are in place and are something that must be addressed by all owners of private jets.
Because of the complexity of this regulation, I recommend that you contact us or your local aircraft operator to discuss the details of your specific situation to form a plan that works best for you and your needs.
Blogs are written from real world experience by Colibri Aircraft’s individuals. If you have any questions or comments about the topic of this blog, please feel free to contact us at enquiries@colibriaircraft.com