Source: IAMA

  • New adaptations to the IAMA Standard address modification project scalability

IAMA, the Independent Aircraft Modifier Alliance unveiled the latest standard outlined in version 4 of the Rulebook. The new updates address the applicability of the standard to minor modifications, guidance around Instructions for Continuing Airworthiness, also called ICAs and Manual Supplements. It also introduces new scalability aspect to the standard allowing all members to apply the standard regardless of the size of the modification being developed.

Started in 2019 routine updates to the IAMA Standard support the alliance’s aim of tackling aviation ecosystem pains. Consultations with various stakeholders highlighted the critical need for IAMA-endorsed minor modifications, which can represent a notable portion of a fleet’s modification requirements. Minor modifications and STCs can cover large projects like a cabin retrofit or smaller ones like a software upgrade. The alliance recognized from the outset that the application of the Rulebook should not unduly increase the work needed to achieve an IAMA-endorsement. The new alignment of the rules to scale with the range of modification projects allows modifiers and airlines to fully understand the scope of a modification in advance, in order to manage the project with a predictable and risk-averse approach.

“We want to provide a wider application of the IAMA Standard so that any type-change an operator might need can be completed with an IAMA-endorsed project,” explained Romain Mbwang Seppoh, Eclipse Global Connectivity’s Head of Design Organization and Head of IAMA’s Standard Working Group. “The intent is to instill the IAMA Standard’s quality into modifications classified as minor, which will also increase the availability of endorsed modifications.”

Another significant Rulebook adjustment includes new rules for ICAs and Supplements. Technical publications are essential for maintaining and operating the modified aircraft, and industry stakeholders suggested that it would be beneficial for modifier-created documentation to be more like the OEM documentation formats. To address this need the alliance developed rules to ensure that IAMA modifier and client expectations will be aligned and met.

“Our ongoing mission is to continuously evaluate and improve the IAMA standard through consultations with stakeholders and the various aviation authorities,” said Nina Schulz, IAMA Managing Director. “We are very pleased to present version four of the Rulebook outlining the latest standard and the critical need in the marketplace. Additionally, the updated rules will further support our mission to encourage transparency in independent modification projects. All of which is designed to support better outcomes for modifiers and their clients.”