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Aircraft Operator's Certificate (AOC)
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| Article Information | ||
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| Category: | Flight Technical | 
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| Content source: | SKYbrary | 
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| Content control: | EUROCONTROL | 
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Aircraft Operator's Certificate
Contents |
Definition
An air operator's certificate (AOC) is the approval granted from a national aviation authority (NAA) to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial purposes. This requires the operator to have personnel, assets and system in place to ensure the safety of its employees and the general public. The certificate will list the aircraft types and registrations to be used, for what purpose and in what area - specific airports or geographic region. Contents [hide]
Categories
AOCs can be granted for one or more of the following activities:
- Aerial surveying
- Aerial spotting
- Agricultural operations
- Aerial photography
- Aerial advertising
- Fire fighting
- Air ambulance or aeromedical
- Flight Training
- Charter
- Public transport
Requirements
The requirements for obtaining an AOC vary from country to country, but are generally defined as:
- Sufficient personnel with the required experience for the type of operations requested,
- Airworthy aircraft, suitable for the type of operations requested,
- Acceptable systems for the training of crew and the operation of the aircraft (Operations Manual)
- A quality system to ensure that all applicable regulations are followed,
- The appointment of key accountable staff, who are responsible for specific safety critical functions such as training, maintenance and operations,
- Carriers Liability Insurance (for Airlines) - Operators are to have sufficient insurance to cover the injury or death of any passenger carried.[5]
- Proof that the operator has sufficient finances to fund the operation
- The operator has sufficient ground infrastructure, or arrangements for the supply of sufficient infrastructure, to support its operations into the aerodromes requested.
The certificate is held by a legal person who resides in the country or region of application (for EASA)
International variations
An AOC is referred to as a Air Carrier Operating Certificate in the USA.