FAA/EASA Task Force To Announce MMEL Solution Soon

Flight planning company Flight Service Bureau expects the joint FAA/EASA workgroup to soon provide a solution to the master minimum equipment list (MMEL) versus minimum equipment list (MEL) “debacle.” Last year, ramp checks on some U.S. aircraft in France exposed the fact that EASA and the FAA have different interpretations of the ICAO standards for deferring aircraft discrepancies.

In the U.S., operators with FAA authorization can use an MMEL, but in Europe an MEL specific to each aircraft or fleet must be used. In November 2016, EASA began requiring all aircraft transiting European airspace to have an approved MEL for each individual aircraft. According to Flight Service Bureau, EASA will not accept an MEL that just references the MMEL.

“This has been a pain for U.S. operators, as to get an individual MEL approved under the Letter of Authorization (LOA) from the FAA takes time,” the flight planner said. “But by not doing so, they run the risk of failing a ramp check in a European country.”

Flight Service Bureau said the FAA will soon issue a notice requiring international operators to obtain new D195 LOAs, and EASA will give a 12-month grace period to allow time for these LOAs to be issued.