The Federal Aviation Administration has launched a rulemaking process that would expand mutual recognition of non-US maintenance organization certificates through bilateral aviation safety agreements, according to a report from Aviation Week Network.
The proposed change would allow foreign repair stations certified by aviation authorities in countries with bilateral agreements with the United States to operate under streamlined oversight requirements, reducing duplicative certification burdens for MRO providers that serve both domestic and international markets.
The FAA has existing bilateral agreements with multiple aviation authorities including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, which covers a substantial portion of global commercial aircraft maintenance activity. Broadening these mutual recognition frameworks reflects growing demand for more efficient cross-border MRO oversight as commercial aviation activity continues to expand.
The rulemaking comes amid broader FAA modernization efforts in 2026. New requirements are in effect for digital recordkeeping at Part 145 certificated repair stations, with facilities now required to document data integrity controls, user access management, audit trail capability, and backup procedures. Revised Safety Management System requirements and expanded auditing under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 are also driving significant administrative changes across the domestic MRO sector.
The FAA's Office of Inspector General announced the third in a series of audits examining consistency in how FAA field offices certify domestic repair stations, as required under the Reauthorization Act.
The US aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul market is valued at approximately $29.9 billion in 2026, according to industry analysis from IBISWorld.
Source: Aviation Week -- https://aviationweek.com/mro/safety-ops-regulation/faa-broaden-mutual-recognition-mro-approvals