Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization (CAMO) is a term originating in Europe, but today is used across continents. So what is it, and what could it mean to an aircraft operator?
Essentially CAMO is an approval given by a National Aviation Authority (NAA) to a maintenance company within its region that demonstrates the firm meets certain criteria. The CAMO designation, also referred to as Part-M, was introduced in 2003 and slowly it became mandatory for all EU-registered aircraft to be supported by a CAMO-approved company.
What is CAMO and why is it important
The CAMO (continuous airworthiness management organization) is employed by either the aircraft owner directly or by the operator, depending on how the owner wishes to handle their aircraft. In regards to the CAMO, it is their responsibility to plan and coordinate all maintenance activities and to keep the aircraft airworthy as much as possible. Broadly speaking this means:
Forecasting planned maintenance work
Reliability assessment
Ensuring the maintenance provider can begin and finish works within the planned down-time
Within the CAMO department the Maintenance Planning section has a range of responsibilities including the delivery of the aircraft maintenance work package to ensure the aircraft remains fully compliant with the Maintenance Program. However this is only part of the work which can be considered as a fixed work scope of the Maintenance Planning section and it does not fluctuate as it is based on the Maintenance Planning Document “MPD”.
Opportunity available within Maintenance Planning to deliver savings by promoting financially favorable maintenance inputs to the Airline.
Maintenance Planning is provides work programs with the resources available within the organization. Having an effective ERP system would improve functions of the Maintenance Planning eventually reduces self-pressure on the engineers due to high volume of the work load and increases human error.
Delays can be expected due to unavailability of spares, tools and materials. Relevant sections must pay attention on the work program send by the planner days in advance to the check and make them available prior to the initiation the check.
The duties of the support group will review the content of the proposed activity and to determine not only the required tooling and equipment but the various steps which have to be performed to deliver the required activity and close attention to detail is important when monitoring work plan/schedule.
Proactive work is necessary from all the sections to reduce the ground time of the checks as well as to release the aircraft on time.
Obtaining an accurate feedback from hanger would help Maintenance Planning to adjust future plans. Such as
⦁ Unexpected downtimes.
⦁ Time lost in waiting for delivery of spares and supplies.
⦁ Addition time required for non-routing findings
⦁ Manpower availability variations
⦁ Time lost due to robbing parts from other aircraft