Advisory Circular (AC) No. 507-002

Subject: Certificate of Airworthiness

Issuing Office: Civil Aviation, Standards
Document No.: AC 507-002
File Classification No.: Z 5000-34
Issue No.: 02
RDIMS No.: 21303674 – v4
Effective Date: 2026-02-06

Table of contents

1.0 Introduction

  • (1) This Advisory Circular (AC) is provided for information and guidance purposes. It describes an example of an acceptable means, but not the only means, of demonstrating compliance with regulations and standards. This AC on its own does not change, create, amend or permit deviations from regulatory requirements, nor does it establish minimum standards.

1.1 Purpose

  • (1) The primary purpose of this document is to provide guidance to persons applying for a Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) for an imported, type certified aircraft.
  • (2) This AC discusses only the Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) issued pursuant to Canadian Aviation Regulations (CAR) 507.02.This AC does not cover other types of flight authorities, such as Special Certificates of Airworthiness or Flight Permits. It also does not cover the requirements related to registration of the aircraft, although an aircraft must be registered in Canada to receive a flight authority.

1.2 Applicability

  • (1) This document applies to Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) personnel, delegates, and the aviation industry.

1.3 Description of changes

  • (1) Appendix A to D were removed and the forms that were contained in these appendices are now located online through the appropriate links in section 2.1.

2.0 References and requirements

2.1 Reference documents

2.2 Cancelled documents

  • (1) Not Applicable
  • (2) By default, it is understood that the publication of a new issue of a document automatically renders any earlier issues of the same document null and void.

2.3 Definitions and abbreviations

  • (1) The following definitions are used in this document:
    • (a) Aeronautical product: means any aircraft, aircraft engine, aircraft propeller or aircraft appliance or part or the component parts of any of those things, including any computer system and software.
    • (b) Airworthy: in respect of an aeronautical product, means in a fit and safe state for flight and in conformity with its type design.
    • (c) Airworthiness directive: means an instruction issued by the Minister or by a civil aviation authority responsible for an aeronautical product type design that mandates a maintenance or operation action to ensure that an aeronautical product conforms to its type design and is in a condition for safe operation.
    • (d) Airworthiness limitation: means a limitation applicable to an aeronautical product, in the form of a life limit or a maintenance task that is mandatory as a condition of the type certificate.
    • (e) Category: means a grouping of aircraft based upon intended use or operating limitations such as normal, utility, aerobatic, commuter and transport.
    • (f) Convention: means the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, establishing the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
    • (g) Defect: means a shortcoming, deficiency, fault, flaw, imperfection; includes any abnormal or unintended condition of an item.
    • (h) Export Certificate of Airworthiness: is a document that provides confirmation by an exporting State of a recent review of the airworthiness status of the aircraft. It is not a flight authority and is not valid for the purpose of flight. For equivalent documents, Canada uses the term ‘Export Airworthiness Certificate’, ICAO and the USA use Export Certificate of Airworthiness.
    • (i) Flight authority: means a certificate of airworthiness, special certificate of airworthiness, flight permit or validation of a foreign document attesting to an aircraft’s fitness for flight, issued under Subpart 7 of Part V of the CARs, or a foreign certificate of airworthiness that meets the requirements of Article 31 of the Convention.
    • (j) Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA): means instructions and information that are necessary for the continued airworthiness of the aeronautical product, which must be developed or referenced by the design approval holder in accordance with the applicable certification basis or standard.
    • (k) Import: means entry onto the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register of an aircraft that was previously registered in another state, or newly manufactured in another state.
    • (l) Major modification: means an alteration to the type design of an aeronautical product in respect of which a type certificate has been issued that has other than a negligible effect on the weight and centre-of-gravity limits, structural strength, performance, power plant operation, flight characteristics or other qualities affecting its airworthiness or environmental characteristics.
    • (m) Major repair: means a repair to an aeronautical product in respect of which a type certificate has been issued, that causes the aeronautical product to deviate from the type design defined by the type certificate, where the deviation from the type design has other than a negligible effect on the weight and centre-of-gravity limits, structural strength, performance, power plant operation, flight characteristics or other qualities affecting the aeronautical product’s airworthiness or environmental characteristics.
    • (n) Minister: means the Minister of Transport; in this AC generally refers to a delegated official of the Minister. It includes internal delegates such as Civil Aviation Safety Inspectors that are in the employ of Transport Canada and also includes external delegates such as Minister’s Delegate – Maintenance.
    • (o) Minister’s Delegate – Maintenance: a person authorized to issue a flight authority or an Export Airworthiness Certificate, who is not employed by Transport Canada Civil Aviation.
    • (p) Owner: in respect of an aircraft, means the person – the individual or legal entity – who has legal custody and control of the aircraft.
    • (q) Registered owner: in respect of an aircraft, means the person to whom a certificate of registration for the aircraft has been issued by the Minister under Part I of the Aeronautics Act or in respect of whom the aircraft has been registered by the Minister under that Part.
    • (r) Safe, safe for flight: in respect of an aircraft, means that it is in a condition that allows it to be operated at an acceptable minimum risk of harm to or loss of the aircraft, other aircraft, people or property. It is the reduction of risk inherent in flight to an acceptable minimum level.
    • (s) Standard of airworthiness: in respect of the design, manufacture or maintenance of an aeronautical product, means the description, in terms of a minimum standard, of the properties and attributes of the configuration, material and performance or physical characteristics of that aeronautical product, and includes the procedures to ascertain compliance with or to maintain that minimum standard, as specified in Part V of the CARs.
    • (t) Type certificate: means (a) a document, including a type approval issued before October 10, 1996 under section 214 of the Air Regulations, issued by the Minister to certify that the type design of an aircraft, aircraft engine or propeller identified in the document meets the applicable standards for that aeronautical product recorded in the type certificate data sheets, or (b) a document issued by the foreign airworthiness authority having jurisdiction over the type design of an aeronautical product that is equivalent to a document referred to in paragraph (a) and that has been accepted by the Minister for the purpose of issuing a certificate of airworthiness.
    • (u) Type design: means (a) the drawings and specifications, and a listing of those drawings and specifications that are necessary to define the design features of an aeronautical product in compliance with the standards applicable to the aeronautical product,(b) the information on dimensions, materials and manufacturing processes that is necessary to define the structural strength of an aeronautical product, (c) the approved sections of the aircraft flight manual, where required by the applicable standards of airworthiness, (d) the airworthiness limitations section of the instructions for continued airworthiness specified in the applicable chapters of the Airworthiness Manual; and (e) any other data necessary to allow, by comparison, the determination of the airworthiness and, where applicable, the environmental characteristics of later aeronautical products of the same type or model.
  • (2) The following abbreviations are used in this document:
    • (a) AC: Advisory Circular
    • (b) AD: Airworthiness Directive
    • (c) AWL: Airworthiness Limitation
    • (d) AME: Aircraft Maintenance Engineer licenced pursuant to CAR Part IV
    • (e) CAA: Civil Aviation Authority
    • (f) CAR or CARs: Canadian Aviation Regulation(s)
    • (g) CofA: Certificate of Airworthiness issued pursuant to CAR 507.02
    • (h) CofR: Certificate of Registration
    • (i) CMR: Certification Maintenance Requirement
    • (j) ECA: Export Certificate of Airworthiness
    • (k) FAA: Federal Aviation Administration
    • (l) ICA: Instructions for Continued Airworthiness
    • (m) ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization
    • (n) MD-M: Minister’s Delegate - Maintenance
    • (o) NAPA: National Aeronautical Product Approval
    • (p) NICO: NAPA Issued Certificates Online
    • (q) STC: Supplemental Type Certificate
    • (r) Std.: Standard
    • (s) TC: Transport Canada
    • (t) TCCA: Transport Canada Civil Aviation
    • (u) TCDS: Type Certificate Data Sheet
    • (v) U.S.: United States of America

3.0 Background

  • (1) With the exception of ultra-light aeroplanes, hang gliders and remotely piloted aircraft, it is a contravention of section 605.03 of the CARs to operate an aircraft in flight unless a flight authority is in effect in respect of the aircraft. There are several kinds of flight authorities, each of which is reflected in the issue of a particular Canadian Aviation Document. Section 507.02 of the CAR states: “Where an application for a flight authority is made pursuant to section 507.06, the Minister shall issue a certificate of airworthiness in respect of an aircraft:
    • (a) for which an aircraft type design has been certified by the Minister and the certification is not in respect of a restricted category aircraft;
    • (b) that conforms to its certified type design; and
    • (c) that is safe for flight.
  • (2) This AC provides information on how the above conditions for the issuance of the CofA can be met.
  • (3) Any reference to an aircraft in this AC means a complete aircraft that is registered in Canada, with a Continuing (i.e: permanent, not Provisional) Certificate of Registration.
  • (4) It may be possible for an aircraft that does not qualify for a CofA to meet the conditions of issue for a different flight authority, such as a Special Certificate of Airworthiness, or a Flight Permit.

4.0 Certificate of Airworthiness

  • (1) A Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) is a Canadian flight authority, a document required by section 605.03 of the CARs to allow flight of an aircraft. It is issued pursuant to section 507.02 of the CARs to an applicant, in respect of a Canadian registered aircraft which has been demonstrated to conform to the conditions of issue, in that it conforms to the type design certified by the Minister (or accepted by the Minister) and is safe for flight.
  • (2) A CofA issued by the Minister is a document issued in compliance with Article 31 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, which requires that every aircraft engaged in international navigation shall be provided with a certificate of airworthiness issued or rendered valid by the State in which it is registered.
  • (3) An aircraft with a CofA that meets the requirements of Article 31 of the Convention can be flown, without additional airworthiness approval, such as a flight authority validation, into the airspace of any ICAO contracting state.
  • (4) Unless surrendered, suspended or cancelled, a CofA remains in force indefinitely, as long as the aircraft continues to meet the conditions of issuance.

4.1 Duration of the flight authority: “In Effect”

  • (1) A Certificate of Airworthiness may be valid or ‘in force’ for a particular aircraft in the sense that it is not suspended or cancelled per section 507.11 of the CARs but it may not be ‘in effect’ for flight for a period of time due to the aircraft not being airworthy. Flight of the aircraft in that situation would be a contravention of CAR section 605.03.
  • (2) Additionally, a CofA may be valid but ceases to be in effect for flight when the aircraft does not conform to the certified type design or is not in a condition for safe flight, such as when the aircraft is undergoing maintenance, has been damaged or is to be operated outside the limits stated in the type certificate.
  • (3) The CofA is transferred with the aircraft when the aircraft is transferred to a new owner, provided the aircraft remains a Canadian registered aircraft, and therefore does not need to be reissued.
  • (4) The Certificate of Noise Compliance, although printed on the same document as the CofA, is a separate certification issued by the Minister pursuant to CAR 507.20.

4.2 Registration

  • (1) A Canadian CofA can only be issued to an aircraft registered in Canada. Any aircraft can be registered in Canada. Issue of a Certificate of Registration (CofR) is not dependent on the aircraft’s perceived eligibility for a Certificate of Airworthiness.
  • (2) Registration is not definitive, it is descriptive. An aircraft is registered based on information provided by the applicant, including the aircraft’s manufacturer, model and serial number. The CofR is separate from the Certificate of Airworthiness or other flight authority. If the process of issuing the CofA reveals that the aircraft is not as described on the CofR, the owner must apply for issue of an amended CofR that reflects the correct information.
  • (3) An aircraft can first be registered with the model designation displayed on the identification plate.
  • (4) If modifications are required to bring the aircraft into conformity with a Canadian certified type design, and those modifications change the model designation of the aircraft, the owner should re-apply for issue of a CofR that reflects the correct information.
  • (5) The nationality mark of a Canadian aircraft is the letter “C”, and the registration mark of the aircraft is the four letters that follow “C”.

4.3 Release of maintenance performed prior to issue of the CofA

  • (1) An aircraft registered in Canada is a Canadian aircraft, so subparts 571 and 605 of the CARs apply.
  • (2) All maintenance performed in the course of inspection, or of verifying or ensuring that the aircraft conforms to the certified type design and is safe for flight must be performed and released in accordance with CAR 571 and recorded in accordance with Subpart 605 of the CARs.

4.4 Inspection

  • (1) Any aircraft that is being imported, including newly manufactured aircraft, for which an application for CofA is being made must be inspected to the extent necessary to ensure it meets the conditions of issue of the CofA. The AME signing the declaration of the aircraft’s conformity and condition on the CofA application form must ensure that an inspection of the aircraft, including its records, has been carried out.
  • (2) The applicant should complete form 24-0107, Aircraft Inspection for Certificate of Airworthiness Application to establish, at a minimum, that:
    • (a) the aircraft (including the engines, propellers, appliances, etc.) conforms to its certified type design and is safe for flight (see section 6 and section 7 below);
    • (b) all applicable airworthiness directives (or foreign equivalents) have been complied with (see section 6.5 below);
    • (c) repairs and modifications which would be defined as major if they had been performed under the CARs, were performed in accordance with data approved or approvable by TCCA, and are appropriately certified (see section 6.3 below);
    • (d) the airframe, engines, and propellers are free of corrosion, within the limits prescribed by the applicable maintenance manuals (see section 7.2 below);
    • (e) all aircraft systems, engines, propellers, appliances, and controls are functioning properly (see section 7.2 below);
    • (f) the time in service of each life-limited part does not exceed its maximum permitted life (see section 6.4 below); and
    • (g) the aircraft has been appropriately maintained, in accordance with the applicable ICA or equivalent foreign requirements.
  • (3) Provided that the results of the inspection are satisfactory, engines, propellers and other appliances that were maintained in accordance with the rules of the country of export and were installed on the aircraft when it entered Canada may continue in service. They need not be overhauled as condition of issue of the Certificate of Airworthiness, unless inspection reveals that they are not airworthy.

5.0 Certified aircraft type design – CAR 507.02(a)

  • (1) As a condition for issuance of a CofA, the aircraft must be of a type for which a type design has been certified by – or accepted by – the Minister, and the certification must not be in the restricted category.
  • (2) A type certificate is issued to signify the Minister’s approval of a type design as meeting the standards of airworthiness for the category of aircraft. For a CofA to be issued a Canadian type certificate must have been issued, or a foreign type certificate accepted by the Minister, for the type, model and serial number of the aircraft.
  • (3) A model is a sub-set of a type; often some models of a type are listed on a type certificate while others are not. Type certificates are always model specific and may be specific to a serial number range. If the certificate does not include the model and serial number of the aircraft in question, the Minister has not issued (or accepted) a type certificate that covers that particular aircraft.
  • (4) The applicant for the CofA is responsible to establish that a type certificate issued or accepted by the Minister applies to their particular aircraft by completing form 24-0105, Aircraft Status and Certified Type Design for Certificate of Airworthiness Application. The applicant may contact TCCA or a Minister’s Delegate – Maintenance (MD-M) for assistance. The applicant must be aware that while an applicable certified type design is a fundamental prerequisite for CofA issue, it does not guarantee that the Minister will eventually issue a CofA to a particular aircraft of the type.
  • (5) It is the sole responsibility of the person importing an aircraft to consult with TCCA (or an MD-M) to the extent necessary to ensure that it may be eligible for a flight authority which will allow operation in its intended role. For instance, an aircraft may only be eligible for a Special Certificate of Airworthiness or a Flight Permit and may not be eligible for operation in a flight training or an air transport service.
  • (6) TCCA is not liable for any losses incurred by an applicant if the aircraft fails to qualify for a Certificate of Airworthiness. It is the responsibility of the applicant to evaluate prior to purchase or application for a CofR or CofA their risk that an aircraft will or will not meet the conditions of issue for the desired flight authority.
  • (7) The Transport Canada National Aeronautical Product Approval (NAPA) system maintains an online listing called NAPA Issued Certificates Online (NICO). NICO provides access to the searchable database for the Type Certificate Data Sheets (TCDS) associated with type certificates issued or accepted by the Minister. A TCDS is part of the Type Certificate and describes the conditions and limitations under which the product for which the Type Certificate was granted meets the standards of airworthiness required by the Canadian Aviation Regulations.
  • (8) There are some older U.S. designed and manufactured aircraft models whose type designs were accepted on the basis of their FAA Type Certificate, rather than the Minister performing a separate certification exercise. The list of these aircraft can be found on Transport Canada’s web page titled “U.S. Eligible Aircraft List”.
  • (9) In the NICO database, a search for a type certificate data sheet for an aircraft on the “U.S. Eligible Aircraft List” will display that “Transport Canada has accepted the foreign certificate without issuing its own certificate”.

6.0 Conformity to the certified type design – CAR 507.02(b)

  • (1) As a condition for issuance of a CofA, the aircraft must conform to its certified type design.
  • (2) An aircraft that has been subject to modifications or repairs that would be classified as major under the CARs does not conform to the original certified type design for aircraft of the type. The modifications or repairs and the data to which they were performed must be evaluated (see section 6.3 below).
  • (3) The application for CofA must include a declaration made by an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) “that the aircraft meets the requirements of [CAR] section 507.02”; meaning that the aircraft has been found to conform to its certified type design, which includes major modifications and repairs that are unique to that aircraft. Although not stated directly in the CAR or Standard, such a declaration cannot be made without the attester performing an inspection for conformity or reviewing the results of an inspection for conformity.
  • (4) The signatory of the declaration must be the holder of an AME license issued under CAR Part IV. For clarity, an Approved Maintenance Organization cannot be the signatory, a Restricted Certification Authority holder cannot be the signatory, and a foreign license holder working for an organisation approved under an international agreement cannot be the signatory. Only the holder of a valid Canadian AME licence issued under CAR Part IV can be the signatory of the declaration on the application form.

6.1 Export Certificate of Airworthiness (ECA) as evidence of conformity

  • (1) The Canadian version of the ECA is an Export Airworthiness Certificate, which can be issued to an aircraft being exported from Canada. Since this Advisory Circular refers to aircraft in Canada or being imported, the abbreviation ECA will be used.
  • (2) An ECA is not a flight authority, it does not allow flight of the aircraft it describes. For example, a “Export Certificate of Airworthiness” Form 8130-4 issued by the United State’s FAA is not a flight authority.
  • (3) A Canadian Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) may suggest in the Import Requirements section that the aircraft’s conformity to its type design can be established by an ECA from the exporting country. While beneficial as evidence of conformity to the type design, an ECA by itself is never sufficient for the issue of the CofA. Some degree of inspection of the aircraft and validation of the information on the ECA is required.
  • (4) The Import Requirements section will also indicate that “another process acceptable to the Minister” can be used to establish conformity. An application for a CofA can be made and a CofA issued whether or not there is an ECA. When an aircraft is being imported without an EAC, an airworthiness inspection sufficiently extensive and detailed to verify the conformity of the aircraft to its certified type design is required (see section 6.2 below).
  • (5) An ECA or equivalent is issued by the aviation authorities of the country from which an aircraft is being exported, to certify as of a certain date the aircraft’s conformity to a type design and its condition, and may list any additional pertinent information, often including those related to the requirements of the importing country.
  • (6) The ECA does not expire, since it is specific to a given date, but the older the ECA is the less it can be relied upon as an accurate description of the aircraft’s current conformity and condition.
  • (7) An ECA may also identify deviations to the type design, referred to as notes or exceptions, which may or may not need to be addressed before the issuance of a CofA.
  • (8) An ECA may also have explanatory notes or information, which can be read at face value.
  • (9) Per Std. 507.07(3), TCCA may ‘accept’ an ECA as proof as evidence of conformity to a type certificate. “Acceptance” of an EAC means the degree of credence that an importing country will give an ECA. TCCA attributes greater credibility to an EAC from a country which is the State of Design or manufacture, or one with which Canada has a bilateral agreement, and less credibility to an ECA from a country with which Canada has no agreement or understanding. The applicant should review the applicable ECA by completing form 24-0106, Export Certificate of Airworthiness (ECA) Validation.
  • (10) The ECA should be signed and dated by an authorized representative of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of the country of export and may include:
    • (a) A certification of conformity to the type design specified in the Canadian type certificate, or the type design to which conformity was established;
    • (b) A list of any major modifications and major repairs approved by the country of export and embodied on the product;
    • (c) A list of all airworthiness directives or equivalent notices indicating which have been complied with; and
    • (d) Notes regarding deviations from the type design.
  • (11) Despite the issuance of an ECA, the onus remains on the applicant to ensure that an inspection of the aircraft and its records has been carried out to the extent necessary to establish that the aircraft conforms to the certified type design, and that it is safe for flight.

6.2 Conformity of aircraft imported without an ECA

  • (1) When an aircraft is imported without an ECA as evidence of conformity, a detailed inspection is required in order to determine that the aircraft conforms to an approved type design and is safe for flight, which will include:
    • (a) A detailed review of the technical history of the aircraft; and
    • (b) If the aircraft has sufficient technical history, as defined in Std. 507.07(5), a 100-hour inspection or equivalent, (e.g.: 12 month) is required to establish that the aircraft conforms to the type design and is free of defects that would affect the safety of flight.
  • (2) Equivalent inspection means an inspection that covers the complete aircraft and its installed equipment in enough detail to establish that the aircraft conforms to the type design and is free from defects that would affect its safety for flight. The depth of inspection should be consistent with the general condition and history of the aircraft.
  • (3) If the technical history is insufficient, further disassembly, inspections, tests, repairs, overhaul or replacement of the affected aeronautical products may be required to ensure or establish the airworthiness of the product.
  • (4) Refer to section 4.4 above for further information on the scope of the inspection.
  • (5) All documentation detailing the airworthiness inspection that was carried out, and the work required to bring the aircraft to a condition of conformity to the certified type design and safety for flight shall be made available to the Minister.
  • (6) The Minister will evaluate the documentation and may require further inspection and may inspect the aircraft to determine if any further work is required.

6.3 Major Modifications and repairs

  • (1) All type certified aircraft are built in conformity to a type design.
  • (2) Major modifications and repairs are alterations to and deviations from the originally certified type design that have been embodied during a particular aircraft’s history.
  • (3) Repairs and modifications which would be defined as major if they had been performed under the CARs must have been properly performed in accordance with data approved or approvable by TCCA. Data approved by another authority may or may not be acceptable to or approvable by TCCA.
  • (4) In some cases, the aircraft may not be eligible for the issuance of a CofA due to the embodiment of a major modification(s) or repair(s). The applicant must ensure that when foreign data was used for major modifications and repairs on the aircraft, then that foreign data is available for review by the Minister in order to be found acceptable to or approved by the Minister.
  • (5) Ministerial acceptance or approval may involve type design examinations at different levels of review. The level of review and the time required depends on the product’s state of design, the certification basis, the state that approved the design change and the type of change.
  • (6) The applicant must ensure that with respect to major modifications and major repairs the technical record contains all necessary supporting data and certifications.
  • (7) Bilateral agreements or technical arrangements may provide acceptance of major repairs when carried out according to data approved by the CAA of the country of export. Consult the International Agreements web page.
  • (8) All foreign Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) used as data for major modifications on the aircraft must be accepted or approved by the Minister, or a Canadian STC must be issued by the Minister.
  • (9) NAPA Issued Certificates Online (NICO) provides access to the searchable database for Canadian STCs issued by the Minister and foreign STCs accepted by the Minister.
  • (10) There are certain instances where FAA STCs installed on certain aircraft may be exempt from type design examinations and may not show as being accepted in NICO.
  • (11) In the U.S. the FAA Form 337, used to record major repairs and major modifications, may also be used for field approval of technical data. This field approval of data is indicated by an approval statement (not to be confused with the completion statement) and a signature in block 3 of the FAA Form 337 (which is for FAA use only). With certain exceptions, data approved by the FAA via an appropriately executed FAA Form 337 may be acceptable to the Minister.
  • (12) The applicant should contact their local or regional TCCA Office or a Minister’s Delegate - Maintenance for further information on acceptance and approval of foreign design changes and exemptions.
  • (13) If the applicant chooses to remove a modification from the aircraft, as much as reasonably possible, all portions of that modification must be removed. An appropriate level of data would be required to allow for only a partial removal of a modification.
  • (14) It may also be possible to remove the modification to the point that the remaining departure from the aircraft type design becomes minor and can be considered performed and released according to acceptable data.

6.4 Airworthiness Limitations (AWL)

  • (1) When the design analysis of an aircraft determines that a certain task is required to ensure the aircraft remains in compliance with the design standards contained in its certification basis, the result is an airworthiness limitation.
  • (2) Airworthiness limitations are mandatory requirements applicable to an aeronautical product, in the form of a maximum allowable lifespan or life-limit, or a maintenance task that is mandatory as a condition of the type certificate, a supplemental type certificate or an Airworthiness Directive.
  • (3) Airworthiness limitations may be in the form of:
    • (a) life-limited parts; i.e. parts that must be replaced after a defined period of calendar time or number of hours or cycles of operation;
    • (b) Certification Maintenance Requirements (CMR); mandatory scheduled maintenance tasks determined to be necessary during the design certification of the aircraft and stated as a limitation in the type certificate; and
    • (c) any other limitation set out in the Approved portion of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA), such as a Candidate Certification Maintenance Requirement (CCMR).
  • (4) A revision to the ICAs introduced by a Service Bulletin from a manufacturer - even one labeled as ‘Mandatory’ - is not an airworthiness limitation unless it is mandated by TCCA or the State of design of the aircraft through the issuance of an AWL or AD.
  • (5) An aircraft must be maintained in accordance with any airworthiness limitations applicable to that aircraft’s certified type design. For issue of a CofA, the aircraft must be brought into a state of compliance with any applicable airworthiness limitations.
  • (6) The applicant must demonstrate that an inspection of the aircraft, including its records, has been carried out to establish that airworthiness limitations have not been exceeded.
  • (7) If prior compliance with an airworthiness limitation cannot be demonstrated, then it must be complied with. Compliance can include a recorded determination that the AWL is not applicable to the aircraft or its accessories, or that it is not yet due.
  • (8) Each life-limited component, or any product containing a life-limited component, which has seen prior service shall be accompanied by a technical record of its accumulated hours, cycles or calendar time, as applicable, so that the permissible period in service remaining can be established. The record should contain details of all repairs and modifications carried out during its service life. If the service history or time remaining of a life-limited component cannot be established, it must be replaced.

6.5 Airworthiness Directives

  • (1) Airworthiness Directives (ADs) are instructions issued by the Minister, or by a civil aviation authority responsible for the aeronautical product type design, that mandate a maintenance action or operational procedure.
  • (2) An AD may call for one time or repetitive, short- or long-term actions, or for modifications. The AD may require an action (such as an inspection for an unsafe condition) or allow for modifications that alter an aeronautical product’s type design to return the design to compliance with the standards of airworthiness.
  • (3) ADs can apply to any Canadian registered aircraft, installed engines, propellers, appliances or part. The aircraft must meet the requirements of any applicable AD issued for the aircraft and any aeronautical product installed on the aircraft.
  • (4) An AD issued by TCCA takes precedence over any equivalent foreign notice, such as an FAA AD.
  • (5) Owners are required to comply with ADs or equivalent notices issued by the foreign state responsible for the type design of the aircraft, unless a Canadian AD has been issued.
  • (6) The applicant must ensure that an inspection of the aircraft, including its records, has been carried out to establish that all ADs or foreign equivalents that may apply have been complied with or found not to apply.
  • (7) The applicant should record what action was taken to comply with an Airworthiness Directive. For instance, if the AD calls for a recurring inspection, the need for which can be terminated by modification, the AD record submitted in compliance with STD 507.07 (2), (4) or (6) should specify exactly what action was taken to comply with the AD; whether the terminating action was carried out or the recurring inspection. If an AD was found not to apply, that determination should be recorded.
  • (8) If the record is not clear whether the action taken was the terminating action, the AD must be considered as recurring, and the requirements of the AD continue to apply.
  • (9) During the inspection process, recorded AD compliance should be verified against the actual aircraft and its equipment, to ensure technical records are accurate with respect to AD compliance.

7.0 Safe for Flight – CAR 507.02(c)

  • (1) As a condition of issuance of a CofA, an aircraft must be safe for flight.
  • (2) An AME must make a declaration on the CofA application form that the aircraft is safe for flight.
  • (3) ‘Safe for flight’ is closely related to conformity to the certified type design but also extends to ensuring the serviceability and proper function of the aircraft and any installed equipment necessary for a given flight, which includes an assessment that the aircraft has been maintained in accordance with the applicable ICAs and maintenance rules of the country of origin.

7.1 Defects

  • (1) Defects that render an aircraft unsafe for flight or not in conformity with the certified type design must be rectified prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Airworthiness.
  • (2) The applicant must ensure that an inspection of the aircraft, including its records, has been carried out to identify defects.
  • (3) A CofA cannot be issued to an aircraft with equipment that is not serviceable or that has been removed, where that equipment is required by:
    • (a) the certification basis i.e. the standard of airworthiness upon which its type design was approved;
    • (b) any list published by the aircraft manufacturer respecting aircraft equipment that is required for flight; or
    • (c) an airworthiness directive.
  • (4) Some defects need not be rectified before the issuance of a CofA. Defects which affect only the aircraft's compliance with certain operational requirements, such as the night flying or instrument flying requirements, may not prevent the issue of a Certificate of Airworthiness. Defects which are purely cosmetic need not be rectified for the issue of a Certificate of Airworthiness.
  • (5) Defects identified during inspection, whether rectified or outstanding, must be recorded in the technical records.

7.2 Maintenance Status

  • (1) The applicant should be prepared to demonstrate that the prior maintenance history of the aircraft has been reviewed, and in particular that no maintenance task is overdue.
  • (2) The review procedure consists of a comparison of the content of the previous inspection program with that of the new program. Any differences between the two programs will require either a calculation of the times remaining to the maintenance task(s) involved, an out of phase inspection of the product, or both.
  • (3) Differences noted in the review process and the actions taken as a result should be listed in form 24-0108, Aircraft Supporting Documents for Certificate of Airworthiness Application.
  • (4) The Minister can approve, for a limited period of time, and primarily for the purpose of application and issuance of the Certificate of Airworthiness, the use of an interim schedule, while a permanent maintenance schedule is under development or review.

8.0 Application for a CofA

  • (1) Knowingly making a false representation for the purpose of obtaining a Certificate of Airworthiness is an offence under the Aeronautics Act.
  • (2) The Minister may inspect, or may cause to be inspected, any aircraft for which an application for CofA has been made.
  • (3) Application form # 24-0043, is used to apply for a CofA. Some documents must be included with the application and others need only be available for possible reference (see section 9 below).
  • (4) The application must be made and signed by the registered owner of the aircraft or by their authorized representative.
  • (5) The application must include a declaration made by an AME that the aircraft meets the requirements of CAR 507.02, in that the aircraft has been found to conform to its approved type design and is safe for flight (see section 4.3 above).
  • (6) The signatory of the declaration must be the holder of an AME license issued under Part IV. An Approved Maintenance Organization cannot be the signatory, a Restricted Certification Authority holder cannot be the signatory, and a foreign license holder working for an organisation approved under an international agreement cannot sign. Only the holder of a valid Canadian AME licence issued under CAR Part IV can be the signatory of the declaration on the application form.
  • (7) The application form shall be submitted within 30 days of the date on which the condition of the aircraft was certified by the AME.
  • (8) If the services of an MD-M are not being used, the applicable service fee must be paid at the time of the application.
  • (9) Information submitted by an applicant for the issue of a flight authority is subject to Government of Canada Access to Information Act and Privacy Act guidelines.

9.0 Required documents

  • (1) Along with the application, applicants for a CofA must provide information to support the evaluation of the aircraft against the conditions of issue in CAR 507.02.
  • (2) In addition to the documents stated below, and depending on circumstances, the Minister may request other documents, and the applicant may add any documents that support the application. Issuance of the CofA may be delayed if required documents are not available.
  • (3) When documents are submitted in a language other than English or French, a translation in either of those languages must accompany the documents.

9.1 Documents that must be submitted

  • (1) The following documents are to be submitted together with the CofA application Form # 24-0043:
    • (a) An ECA if one is available;
    • (b) For all aircraft being imported, documentation providing a sufficiently detailed and continuous history regarding:
      • (i) the status of scheduled maintenance items – including a list of items and their current status in relation to the applicable Canadian maintenance schedule;
      • (ii) the status of all life limited items – including a list of items, their Part Number, Serial Number, current status, life limit, etc.;
      • (iii) the status of all potentially applicable airworthiness directives – including what action has been carried out and when; and
      • (iv) any major modifications or repairs embodied on the aircraft – including reference to data used (e.g. STC #, FAA 337, RDA #) and when they were carried out.
    • (c) Completed forms; 24-0105, Aircraft Status and Certified Type Design for Certificate of Airworthiness Application, form 24-0106, Export Certificate of Airworthiness (EAC) Validation, form 24-0107, Aircraft Inspection for Certificate of Airworthiness Application, and form 24-0108, Aircraft Supporting Documents for Certificate of Airworthiness Application.

9.2 Documents that must be available

  • (1) The applicant for a CofA should also have available for the aircraft:
    • (a) the approved and current Aircraft Flight Manual or operating limitations;
    • (b) a current Weight and Balance report, together with an equipment list. “Current” does not necessarily mean that the aircraft has to be reweighed. The existing weight and balance report should be reviewed, and it may meet the accuracy requirements of Std 571 Appendix C. The report as reviewed must be certified with a maintenance release or amended and certified.
    • (c) the aircraft Journey Log and other technical records established to meet Canadian requirements;
    • (d) foreign technical records and logs; and
    • (e) the maintenance schedule approved by the Minister to which the aircraft will be maintained, and any comparison conducted of the maintenance history versus the requirements of the approved schedule.

10.0 Related information

10.1 Identification Plates

  • (1) The applicant for the CofA must ensure that the aircraft has an identification plate or plates that meet the requirements in CAR 201.01(4). The identification plate(s) must correctly reflect the aircraft’s current model designation and serial number.
  • (2) The ID plate should reflect the name of the manufacturer at the time of manufacture. The ID plate does not need to be altered, or an additional plate added when the legal name of the manufacturer changes. Model changes affect the model designation, not the manufacturer name.
  • (3) If an aircraft does not have an identification plate attached that accurately carries the required information, the owner must apply to TCCA for authorization to attach a plate, or an additional plate, or to alter the existing plate.
  • (4) The request must include evidence that establishes the identity of the aircraft.
  • (5) The Minister will authorize the owner to attach an additional aircraft identification plate to the aircraft or alter the existing one.
  • (6) Without authorization from the Minister, it is a contravention to remove or replace an aircraft identification plate, attach to an aircraft an aircraft identification plate that was attached to another aircraft, or alter the information on an aircraft identification plate.
  • (7) An application to amend the Certificate of Registration is required if information on the identification plate changes. A current photo of the changed or added identification plate will be required.
  • (8) For issue of the CofA, the engines, propellers, rotors, life limited components, appliances, balloon basket and burner assemblies must carry the identification information required by sections 201.08 to 201.11 of the CARs. The information shall be permanently etched, engraved or stamped directly on the aeronautical product or on an identification plate securely attached to it. Aeronautical products imported from a country not requiring certain identification data will require the identification data be installed prior to issue of the CofA.
  • (9) The Identification Plate required by 201.01 - Aircraft Identification Plates is not the mark plate that was required by the pre-CARs regulations and by ICAO. The requirement for a mark plate no longer exists in the CARs, and Canada has filed a difference with ICAO.
  • (10) Installation of a mark plate is at the discretion of the operator and constitutes a modification.

10.2 Certificate of noise compliance

  • (1) The Certificate of Noise Compliance, although printed on the same form as the CofA, is a separate certification. The Minister issues the Certificate of Noise Compliance by making an entry in block 8 of the form 24-0073 that bears the CofA.
  • (2) There is no application form to apply for a Certificate of Noise Compliance. A short factual message is sufficient. A request can be made in writing by the owner or their authorized representative and should specify what noise emission requirements the aircraft complies with.
  • (3) To determine what noise emission standards the aircraft meets, these documents can be consulted:
    • (a) The aircraft’s Type Certificate and Type Certificate Data Sheet;
    • (b) Supplemental Type Certificate(s);
    • (c) Approved Flight Manual; and
    • (d) Approved Flight Manual Supplement(s).
  • (4) When asked to prove compliance with local noise restrictions, or pay fees based on the aircraft’s noise emissions, Canadian operators have encountered difficulties when the phrasing or content of the statement of noise compliance is unfamiliar to a foreign reader, when based solely on Canadian regulations.
  • (5) For international recognition it is helpful to state FAR 36 or ICAO Annex compliance.
  • (6) Examples of suitable Noise Emission Standards entries for block 8 are:
    • (a) ICAO Annex 16, Volume I, Chapter 3; and
    • (b) FAR 36 Amendments 36-1 through 36-20
  • (7) If an applicant for a CofA does not make a request for a Certificate of Noise Compliance, or there is no noise compliance information on the TCDS or elsewhere, the selection “is not required to comply” may be marked in Box 8 of the form or it may be left blank. If the aircraft pre-dates noise certification or is otherwise exempt, the same “is not required to comply” selection may be marked.

10.3 Other flight authorities

  • (1) A specific purpose flight permit is issued for an aircraft which does not conform to the applicable airworthiness standards but is capable of safe flight. It provides a flight authority in circumstances when a CofA is not in effect.
  • (2) When an aircraft is modified in such a way that that it no longer complies with the basis of its original type certificate, a Special Certificate of Airworthiness – Restricted may be issued. If the modification is a reversible configuration change, Section 507.08 of the CARs provides for the issuance of a Special Certificate of Airworthiness – Restricted in addition to the aircraft’s CofA, to allow conversion between a CofA and a Special Certificate of Airworthiness - Restricted. The alternative flight authority takes effect when the aircraft is configured to the applicable role and an entry to that effect is made in the aircraft journey log.
  • (3) When the application for a Certificate of Airworthiness is made in respect of an aircraft for which the last permanent flight authority issued was a Special Certificate of Airworthiness - Owner-maintenance, the following requirements shall be met:
    • (a) the aircraft engine, propeller and primary flight instruments must be overhauled by an approved maintenance organization that holds a rating in the applicable category; and
    • (b) the aircraft, including its installed systems and equipment, must undergo a complete inspection for conformity to type design, and a maintenance release must be signed by an appropriately rated AME.

10.4 Operational requirements

  • (1) A CofA is issued to an aircraft when it is found to conform to its type design and is safe for flight. Although an aircraft may have a valid CofA, before using it in a particular role the operator of the aircraft must address the relevant operational requirements.
  • (2) An aircraft in a state of readiness for its operational role is referred to as being “fit for flight”, which is distinct from and additional to being “safe for flight”.
  • (3) Various Canadian Aviation Regulations impose a contravention for operating rules. For instance, an aircraft cannot take off, or be operated, unless it is maintained in accordance with an approved maintenance schedule; a turbine aircraft must have an altitude alerter, etc. These requirements must be addressed by the operator but are not part of the CofA issue process.

11.0 Minister’s Delegate - Maintenance

  • (1) A Minister’s Delegate - Maintenance (MD-M) is an individual authorized by the Minister to issue a CofA for an aircraft on import.
  • (2) MD-Ms are independent contractors who can be engaged by the applicant for the issue of a CofA.
  • (3) Aircraft owners (or their representative) can use the TC Civil Aviation online services and applications website to search for a Minister’s Delegates - Maintenance by Region, Name, Province, Certificate, and Authority (Aircraft Category).
  • (4) MD-Ms set their own fee schedules. If an MD-M issues the Certificate of Airworthiness no fee is payable to TCCA.

12.0 Replacement or amendment of a CofA

  • (1) TCCA may replace a CofA if it has been lost or destroyed, or it requires amendment.
  • (2) If the Certificate of Registration is amended to reflect a changed mark, model or serial number, the Certificate of Airworthiness must be amended also. The aircraft owner must apply for changes, and only TCCA may amend a CofA to reflect changes to the aircraft’s registration, model or noise certification.
  • (3) Fees may apply for the replacement or amendment, but there is no formal declaration or application for this purpose. A short factual message is sufficient.
  • (4) TCCA may request documentation to support the replacement or amendment of a CofA. TCCA may request evidence that the aircraft continues to meet the requirements for the issue of the flight authority.
  • (5) A replacement or amended CofA will say at the top “Replaces document issued yyyy-mm-dd”. The date entered will be the date of the most recently issued document that is being replaced, not the issue date of the original CofA.

13.0 Information management

  • (1) Not applicable.

14.0 Document history

  • (1) AC 507-002, Issue 01, RDIMS 18273248 (E), 18417474 (F), dated 2025-03-31 – Certificate of Airworthiness.

15.0 Contact us

For more information, please contact:

Jeffrey Phipps
Chief, Operational Airworthiness, Standards (AARTM)
Email: jeff.phipps@tc.gc.ca

We invite suggestions for amendment to this document. Submit your comments to:
Standards Branch Documentation Services
Email: AARTDocServices-ServicesdocAART@tc.gc.ca

Original signed by

Jamie-Lee MacDermid
Executive Director, Standards branch
Civil Aviation

AC 507-002 - Certificate of Airworthiness
(PDF, 464 KB)

 
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