Hong Kong and Singapore have signed a memorandum of understanding on mutual recognition of approvals of maintenance organisations in the two places.

In general, maintenance organisations must get approval from a country's aviation authority before they can maintain components of aircraft registered in that country.

The memorandum allows the civil aviation authorities of Hong Kong and Singapore to recognise each other's approvals of maintenance organisations to maintain aircraft components.

This means that Hong Kong-based maintenance organisations can maintain aircraft components for Singapore-registered aircraft without seeking additional approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

Likewise, maintenance organisations based in Singapore can maintain aircraft components for Hong Kong-registered aircraft.

Agreement maximises resource use

Assistant Director-General of Civil Aviation John Lau said partnership between civil aviation authorities through mutual recognition will reduce duplication of approval and audit work by the authorities, to maximise the use of resources of the regulators and the industry.

"In the end, such mutual recognition will improve the quality of aircraft maintenance through the use of common airworthiness standards."