Licensing and recognition of the aircraft maintenance engineers – A comparative study

The main purpose of licensing is to establish the accountability of a professional in an area. This study focus on the role of licensed engineers involved in aviation. The licensing of aircraft maintenance engineers is a mandatory requirement in the contracting states of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. This paper compares the licensing systems of various countries and looks at differences in the licensing standards that affect their acceptance by another contracting state. It looks at the degree to which non-safety considerations, such as protecting trade and generating additional fees, can affect these decisions. Although most contracting states follow International Civil Aviation Organisation standards for licensing, some dilution in relation to the privileges of aircraft maintenance license has been noticed in the European Aviation Safety Agency system. This paper also looks at the value of category C license in the Agency system.