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RACQ LifeFlight has won a five-year CASA Part 145 certification for its approved maintenance organisation (AMO), which signifies it is operating to internationally recognised aviation regulations.
The aeromedical charity’s AMO was granted a one-year certification in 2022, while CASA assessed performance and compliance and said the recognition indicates it is demonstrating good business practices, as well as a focus on safety, training and human factor management.
Part 145 is the standard often used by Regular Public Transport (RPT) operators such as international and commercial airlines, and the certification is a big step, said LifeFlight general manager of engineering and maintenance, Peter De Marzi.
“The AMO has seen significant growth over the past few years, and being granted the five-year Part 145 approval by CASA is a proud moment for the engineering team at LifeFlight,” he said.
“This has been a real team effort with input from all the Engineering team. The AMO’s Exposition and all the development work to gain Part 145 approval was carried out in house by LifeFlight staff.”
In a statement, LifeFlight said its engineering department has been operating to many of Part 145’s requirements, including human factor management and tool control, for five years, and that two organisations to which it contracts – Surat Gas Aeromedical Service (SGAS) and Queensland Health – have aviation standards “drawing heavily” from EASA and CASA Part 145 Regulations.
“The approval granted by CASA is the official recognition that the processes, procedures, people and culture of the AMO are to the standard required by Part 145 Regulations,” the organisation said.
LifeFlight’s AMO maintains 16 helicopters – including three Bell 412s, a BK117, an AS350 and a large fleet of AW139s – as well as four Bombardier 604s jets.
The charity last month announced it was developing a new hangar at Archerfield Airport to double its current base maintenance capacity, which will form the “epicentre” of its engineering activities in Queensland.
According to LifeFlight’s head of aviation capability, Michael Richmond, the new facility will be a future-proof maintenance base allowing the service to meet Queensland’s needs for years.
“The current base maintenance facility at Archerfield has been a fantastic home for many years, but increasing demand for our aeromedical services means we have outgrown it,” he said.
“This new purpose-built facility will ensure we have a site large enough to accommodate the growth of our LifeFlight fleet and, subsequently, the work of our skilled engineers who perform significant maintenance activities daily, including fleet management tasks and major aircraft inspections.”
