SUMMARY REPORT ON THE SAFETY OVERSIGHT AUDIT FOLLOW-UP...

ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme

SUMMARY REPORTON THE SAFETY OVERSIGHT

AUDIT FOLLOW-UPOF THE

QATAR CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY

(Doha, 22 to 24 September 2003)

International Civil Aviation Organization

Audit follow-up summary report — Qatar April 2004

ICAO UNIVERSAL SAFETY OVERSIGHT AUDIT PROGRAMME

Summary Report on the Safety Oversight Audit Follow-upof the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority

(Doha, 22 to 24 September 2003)

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

1.1.1 The former Department of Civil Aviation and Meteorology (DCAM) of Qatar was initiallyassessed under the voluntary ICAO Safety Oversight Assessment Programme from 7 to 11 December 1996by an ICAO assessment team. Subsequently, an audit was carried out from 7 to 12 April 2001 pursuant toAssembly Resolution A32-11 and in accordance with the updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)agreed to on 21 July 2000 between Qatar and ICAO. The objective of the audit was twofold. Primarily, itsobjective was to fulfil the mandate given to ICAO pursuant to the above-mentioned Assembly Resolution.Secondly, the audit was conducted with the objective of ascertaining the progress made in the implementationof the recommendations forwarded during the voluntary assessment conducted in 1996 and to re-ascertainthe safety oversight capability of the DCAM of Qatar. The audit also aimed at ensuring that Qatar was inconformity with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), as contained in Annexes 1, 6 and8 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) and related provisions in otherAnnexes, guidance material and relevant safety-related practices in general use in the aviation industry.

1.1.2 On 21 July 2001, Qatar submitted an action plan addressing all the findings andrecommendations contained in the audit interim report and also providing comments and clarifications ofsome of the items contained in the audit interim report. The action plan submitted was reviewed by the SafetyOversight Audit (SOA) Section and was generally found to be satisfactory, as was an update to the action plansubmitted on 9 February 2002. The action plan and comments provided were taken into consideration in thepreparation of the final and summary reports. The summary report was distributed to all Contracting Statesby State letter AN 19/1-02/26 in March 2002.

1.2 Objectives and activities of the audit follow-up mission

The audit follow-up mission was conducted in accordance with Article 18 of the MOU andthe ICAO Safety Oversight Audit Manual (Doc 9735). The objective of this mission was to validate theimplementation of the corrective action plan and to ascertain the status of the progress made, which enablesICAO to update the information contained in the audit findings and differences database (AFDD) and alsoto inform other Contracting States on the status of the safety oversight system of Qatar through anon-confidential summary report. It is important to appreciate in this respect that audit follow-up missionsare not audits and are not designed to evaluate all aspects of a State’s aviation framework or safety oversightsystem.

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2. CIVIL AVIATION ACTIVITIES IN QATAR

At the time of the audit follow-up mission, civil aviation activities in Qatar included:

a) number of technical staff employed by the organization at Headquarters 7

b) number of regional offices 0

c) number of technical staff employed at regional offices 0

d) number of active pilot licences 540

e) number of active flight crew licences other than pilot licences(flight engineer and flight navigator)

14

f) number of aviation training establishments 1

g) number of active licences other than flight crew licences 23

h) number of commercial air transport operators 3

i) number of air operator certificates (AOCs) issued 2

j) number of aircraft operations inspectors 2

k) number of aircraft registered in Qatar 53

l) number of currently valid certificates of airworthiness issued 53

m) number of approved maintenance organizations (AMOs) 3

n) number of non-approved aircraft maintenance organizations 0

o) number of design organizations 0

p) number of aircraft manufacturing organizations 0

q) number of aircraft parts or equipment manufacturing organizations 0

r) number of aircraft type certificates issued 0

s) number of type certificates other than aircraft issued 0

t) number of aircraft airworthiness inspectors 2

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3.1 Qatar has achieved significant progress in implementing its action plan in the area of primaryaviation legislation subsequent to the ICAO safety oversight audit carried out in 2001. The new Law No. 15of 2002 contains all civil aviation provisions in various areas and clearly specifies that ICAO provisions areaccepted and implemented by Qatar. Law No. 15 of 2002 also contains provisions for the establishment of

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the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA), an autonomous CAA, headed by a Chairman of the Board ofDirectors and vested with appropriate powers to administer the civil aviation sector and to issue appropriateregulations, procedures and instructions. A new set of Qatar Civil Aviation Regulations (QCARs) has beenissued based on the Joint Aviation Requirements (JARs) and relevant ICAO Annexes. An establishedprocedure allows for the identification of differences between these regulations and the ICAO SARPs andtheir notification to ICAO.

3.2 Essential progress has been made in the area of civil aviation organization as the newLaw No. 15 has lead to the establishment of an independent CAA. The new CAA of Qatar controls its ownbudget and is therefore enabled to operate as an adequately equipped organization and to be a competitiveemployer. The duties, responsibilities and required qualifications of CAA inspectors have been established.However, no formal training policy has been established, and individual training requirements have not beenaddressed in a formal long-term training programme.

3.3 The QCAA has made considerable progress in the area of personnel licensing and training.The new QCAR-FCL 1 and QCAR-MED have been implemented by the QCAA and contain regulationsrelating to personnel licensing and training. These regulations are supplemented by a set of procedures andguidelines addressing the processes of licensing and examinations in their entirety. Since its inception, theQCAA has also established a personnel licensing office and has appointed a senior personnel licensingofficer, one ground examiner and one flight examiner, who are responsible for the approval of trainingprogrammes and the conduct of examinations. The QCAA has also established a system, requirements andprocedures for the designation of medical examiners, which highlight the requirements concerningexperience, training and responsibilities of authorized medical examiners.

3.4 Tangible progress has been achieved in the area of aircraft operations. The certification ofair operators in Qatar is carried out according to the recently established regulations QCAR-OPS 1 foraeroplanes and QCAR-OPS 3 for helicopters, which are based on JAR-OPS 1 and JAR-OPS 3 respectively,with minor adaptation and introduction of additional ICAO Annex 6 SARPs. The new regulations containprovisions concerning aircraft operations, safe transport of dangerous goods by air, requirements for crewand other personnel training, requirements related to the responsibility of the air operator, as well as theprocesses for the certification and surveillance of AOC holders. These regulations are supplemented byadequate procedures covering all the certification and surveillance processes. The QCAA has established anew department in charge of the certification and surveillance of air operators, and a vast recruitmentprogramme for additional operations inspectors has been launched. The QCAA does not delegate any partsof its surveillance programme to the certified operators, and QCAA flight operations inspectors carry out allground and en-route inspections as well as the approval and monitoring of crew training programmes.

3.5 Good progress has been made in the area of airworthiness of aircraft since the ICAO audit.Based on ICAO Doc 9760, the QCAA has developed the Airworthiness Inspector Manual. This manualprovides guidance on maintenance aspects of special approvals, such as extended range operations bytwin-engined aeroplanes (ETOPS) and all-weather operations (AWO), and addresses procedures for reliabilityprogrammes and maintenance programme deviations. Airworthiness notices have been issued or revised toadequately cover areas such as welding and non-destructive testing (NDT), as well as maintenance aspects

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of lease arrangements. Furthermore, an efficient system for the review of airworthiness directives (ADs) isin place, and QCAR 16 relating to noise regulations has been issued. However, sensitive areas such asadequate level of staffing and the establishment of formal audit plans still need further improvement.

4. RESULTS OF THE AUDIT FOLLOW-UP MISSION

4.1 Primary aviation legislation and civil aviation regulations

4.1.1 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the need to revise the primary aviationlegislation to allow for the introduction and promulgation of air navigationregulations at the Directorate level, the DCAM indicated in its action plan that a newState of Qatar Civil Aviation Act of 2001 would be promulgated into law by 30September 2001. This new Civil Aviation Act, which will supersede the CivilAviation Law No. 15 of 1991, specifies in greater detail the duties andresponsibilities of the Minister responsible for civil aviation and also allows for thedelegation of the necessary authority and the assignment of correspondingresponsibility to develop, issue and revise operating regulations at the level of theDCAM.

b) Validation of action proposed. Qatar has issued a new primary aviation law,Law No. 15 of 2002, which contains all civil aviation provisions in various areasand clearly specifies that ICAO provisions are accepted and implemented by Qatar.It also contains provisions for the establishment of the QCAA, an autonomous CAA,vested with the appropriate powers to administer the civil aviation sector. Article 4of Law No. 15 of 2002 specifies that the QCAA is exclusively responsible for theadministration of civil aviation matters and the establishment of civil aviationregulations and related procedures and instructions. Furthermore, Law No. 16 of2001, whereby the QCAA is created, gives a more detailed delegation of powers tothe Chairman of the Board of the QCAA to issue regulations, procedures,certificates, licences and authorizations and also to amend, suspend or revoke themas deemed necessary. The ICAO recommendation has been complied with.

4.1.2 a) Action proposed by State. Regarding the need to establish a formal procedure forimplementing amendments to ICAO SARPs or for identifying and notifying thedifferences to ICAO, the DCAM indicated that a system for implementingamendments to the SARPs contained in ICAO Annexes 1, 6 and 8, as well as foridentifying and notifying ICAO of the differences that may exist between theQCARs and the SARPs would be established and published in the DCAM Manualof Policies and Procedures, Safety Regulations Section, document referenceNo. DCAM/MPP.SRS/01. The DCAM expects to complete the manual by30 September 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. The QCAA has implemented new QCARs basedon the JARs and relevant ICAO provisions. An internal procedure established by theQCAA allows for the assessment of the implementation and identification of thedifferences between the QCARs and the ICAO SARPs as well as the notification to

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ICAO of the existing differences. Some differences have been identified in theaudited areas and notified to ICAO. The ICAO recommendation has been compliedwith.

4.1.3 a) Action proposed by State. Concerning the recommendation to revise the primaryaviation legislation to include enforcement provisions and to establish penalties forcontravention of the regulations, the DCAM indicated that the new Civil AviationAct of 2001 would include provisions related to the enforcement of the civil aviationregulations, including prescribing penalties for contravention of the regulations. TheDCAM also indicated that the Inspector Manual for Aviation Safety Inspectorswould be completed by 30 September 2001, which would formally establish anddocument the implementation of enforcement procedures within the DCAM in orderto ensure a standardized and objective approach.

b) Validation of action proposed. Aviation Law No. 15 of 2002 requires theapplication of the legislative framework and contains enforcement provisions. TheQCAA has also established enforcement procedures in the Inspector Manual forAviation Safety Inspectors. Cases of enforcement of QCAA regulations werereviewed by the ICAO audit follow-up team and were found well documented. TheICAO recommendation has been complied with.

4.1.4 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the need to specifically empowerDCAM inspectors with unrestricted access to aircraft and facilities in order toconduct inspections, the DCAM indicated that this issue would be addressed in thenew Civil Aviation Act of 2001, to be promulgated by 30 September 2001. TheDCAM would also develop inspectors’ credentials by 30 September 2001 to ensurethe proper authorization of inspectors who are granted rights of access whencarrying out inspections of Qatar’s aviation activities.

b) Validation of action proposed. Article 14 of Law No. 15 of 2002, which specifiesthat QCAA inspectors have the authority to prevent an aircraft from departure forsafety reasons, grants the access and inspection of aircraft and on-board documentsto aviation safety inspectors. A list of these inspectors is published indicating theirspecialty, authority and delegations, and the QCAA is finalizing a new badge to beissued to them. In addition, Article 45 of Law No. 15 of 2002 gives QCAA aviationinspectors the authority to: carry out assessments or investigations to ensure thataircraft are airworthy; have unlimited access to aircraft and operator’s facilities anddocuments; and issue their recommendations directly to operators. The ICAOrecommendation has been complied with.

4.1.5 a) Action proposed by State. Regarding the need to amend the Civil Aviation Lawand operating regulations to provide for the implementation of Article 83 bis, theDCAM indicated that the new Civil Aviation Act of 2001 would provide for theimplementation of Article 83 bis, including the recognition of certificates ofairworthiness and/or personnel licences, and for the proper transfer of State ofRegistry responsibilities under Article 83 bis. The DCAM also indicated that aprogramme for the periodic review of these agreements would be included in the

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Inspection Manual for Aviation Safety Inspectors which would be completed by30 September 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. Article 13 of Law No. 15 of 2002 and QCARsapplicable to aircraft operations require a prior approval of leasing aircraftarrangements for public air transport operations. Article 13 also allows for thetransfer of tasks, functions and responsibilities of the State of Registry to the Stateof Operator and specifies that agreements concerning these transfers must be inaccordance with the provisions of Article 83 bis of the Chicago Convention. Qatarhas not entered into any transfer agreements under Article 83 bis provisions, butboth the operations and airworthiness inspector handbooks have already beenamended and contain applicable procedures and checklists. The ICAOrecommendation has been complied with.

4.1.6 a) Action proposed by State. Concerning the recommendation to establish a systemfor the amendment of the Civil Aviation Law and the QCARs to ensure timelyincorporation of ICAO Annex amendments, the DCAM indicated that a system forthe timely amendment and incorporation of current Annex SARPs into the CivilAviation Law and the QCARs would be established and published by30 September 2001 in the DCAM Manual of Policies and Procedures, SafetyRegulations Section, document reference No. DCAM/MPP.SRS/01.

b) Validation of action proposed. Procedures for updating Qatar laws and regulationsare part of legal instruments applicable to all sectors. Law No. 15 of 2002 and LawNo. 14 of 2001 delegate to the Chairman of the CAA the authority to issue andamend civil aviation regulations. These provisions allow for the promptimplementation of ICAO Annexes and their amendments. The ICAOrecommendation has been complied with.

4.2 Organization of civil aviation

4.2.1 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the need to ensure that the DCAM hasappropriate resources to ensure an effective safety oversight system, the DCAMindicated in its action plan that it would request government funds and financialallocation, to be approved before 30 September 2001, to permit the followingactivities and undertakings:

1) reclassification of remuneration for DCAM inspectors equivalent to thelevel offered to counterparts in industry before 30 October 2001;

2) hiring of additional qualified and experienced DCAM flight operations andairworthiness inspectors, personnel licensing examiners and technical staffbefore 30 December 2001;

3) conduct of safety oversight-related inspections, monitoring, surveillanceand other aviation activities in accordance with preplanned programmes andmilestones, starting 30 September 2001;

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4) participation and completion of initial and recurrent local and overseastraining of all inspectors, starting 30 October 2001;

5) purchase of two vehicles for use by inspectors for inspection andsurveillance duties, before 30 October 2001;

6) purchase of additional materials, tools and equipment for use by inspectorsduring inspection and surveillance duties and aircraft accident and incidentinvestigation, before 30 November 2001;

7) completion of aircraft accident investigation and management training forall persons to be appointed to conduct or participate in aircraft accidentinvestigations, before 30 December 2001;

8) establishment of a Personnel Licensing Office dedicated to the issue,extension and renewal of personnel licences in accordance with Annex 1,before 30 December 2001;

9) establishment of a technical library dedicated to safety oversight andinspection functions, before 30 December 2001; and

10) hiring of a qualified and experienced technical librarian, before30 December 2001.

In addition, the DCAM indicated that, as of 5 July 2001, it had purchased additionaloffice equipment, installed IDD telephones, office computers, the LAN system andInternet access, and started subscriptions for various aviation publications andcontinuing airworthiness information.

b) Validation of action proposed. Decree Law No. 16 of 2001 was enacted on1 August 2001 establishing an autonomous QCAA. The Decree Law enables theQCAA to control its budget independently and gives it the flexibility to deviate fromthe remuneration scale of other civil services. This flexibility has permitted theQCAA to become a competitive employer, as salaries are comparable if not higherthan in the local industry. The budget allows the QCAA to recruit additionalinspectors in order to accomplish the required safety oversight responsibilities andprovides funding for the training of inspectors. The office equipment, such ascomputers, telephone lines, Internet access and subscriptions for technicaldocumentation, has been upgraded to meet the demands of the aviation industry inQatar. Furthermore, sufficient government vehicles are now available to theinspectorate staff to carry out their inspections and audits tasks. The ICAOrecommendation has been complied with.

4.2.2 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the need to establish formal writtenterms of reference for all technical staff and a formal recruitment policy, the DCAMindicated that the DCAM Manual on Policies and Procedures, to be completed by

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30 September 2001, would provide the written terms of reference for all technicalstaff as well as outline the formal rules and standard policy for recruiting technicalstaff with appropriate qualifications and experience based on relevant ICAOguidance material.

b) Validation of action proposed. The newly developed Flight Operations InspectionManual and Airworthiness Inspector Manual contain the detailed duties andresponsibilities of each section and each individual position. Furthermore,qualification requirements, including industry experience for each inspector, havebeen developed and are included in the manuals. The ICAO recommendation hasbeen complied with.

4.2.3 a) Action proposed by State. Concerning the need to establish a formal trainingpolicy and training programme for the technical staff, the DCAM indicated that aformal training policy for technical staff would be provided in the DCAM Manualof Policies and Procedures by 30 September 2001. It also indicated that a formaltraining programme would be established and published in the annex of the manualand would specify an indoctrination and on-the-job training (OJT) period whichwould be required before the technical staff are deemed qualified to undertake theirjob responsibilities and functions. Records of all technical personnel would beestablished and maintained in a databank with files controlled by the SafetyRegulations Section starting 30 August 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. Individual training needs have been identified ineach section, and funding for training is available as a result of the QCAA havinggained independent control of its budget. A formal training policy for the Air SafetyDepartment as a whole has been introduced; however, a formal training programmehas not been established. A relevant policy manual is currently in preparation toprovide QCAA policies concerning training, written terms of reference, recruitmentand the establishment of procedures for technical staff. The ICAO recommendationremains open.

Note.— Subsequent to the audit follow-up mission, the QCAA submitted an updateon 20 December 2003 indicating that a formal training programme for the AirSafety Department technical staff has now been established. Furthermore, a QCAAinspector has been recently sent on an inspectors course in the Netherlands, and theQCAA is planning to send technical staff on additional courses as they becomeavailable. The QCAA has further indicated that they are in the process ofcommunicating with different international training organizations and CAAs onpossible training courses available.

4.2.4 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the recommendation to establish anaccident investigation board and to provide appropriate training for thoseparticipating in such a board, the DCAM indicated that its Senior AirworthinessInspector has completed a course in aircraft accident investigation management andhas been involved in various aircraft incident and accident investigations prior toand during his tenure in the DCAM. The DCAM also indicated that the technical

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staff of the Safety Regulations Section have sufficient technical knowledge toparticipate in aircraft accident investigation, being either qualified airline transportpilots or professional aeronautical engineers with considerable experience. However,provisions enabling the establishment of an accident investigation board/committeeare provided for in the new Civil Aviation Act of 2001, and a training policy andstandard for persons appointed to conduct investigations will be published in theDCAM Manual of Policies and Procedures by 30 September 2001. These personswill be required to complete training overseas on aircraft accident investigation andmanagement starting from 30 November 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. The new Civil Aviation Act of 2001 (Decree ofLaw No. 16) enables the QCAA to establish an accident investigationboard/committee. A Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed betweenthe QCAA and the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) of the BritishDepartment of Transport which provides for the AAIB to assist Qatar in the eventof an aircraft accident investigation. The AAIB will furthermore assist the QCAAin providing training on aircraft accident investigation to QCAA staff appointed asinvestigators. However, this training has not yet been accomplished. The ICAOrecommendation remains open.

Note.— Subsequent to the audit follow-up mission, the QCAA submitted an updateon 20 December 2003 indicating that training of the QCAA staff will take place assoon as it becomes available.

4.3 Personnel licensing and training

4.3.1 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the need to implement all therequirements of Annex 1 SARPs, or identify and notify the differences to ICAO, theDCAM indicated that, by 30 August 2001, it would notify ICAO of the differencesbetween the QCARs and the ICAO SARPs regarding the non-issuance of the gliderpilot, free balloon pilot and flight operations officer licences. Meanwhile, by30 September 2001, the DCAM would incorporate provisions for the issuance ofaircraft maintenance engineer (AME) licences and ratings in the QCARs, Part I,Volume 6; provisions for the issuance of an air traffic controller licence and ratingsin the QCARs, Part I, Volume 5; and requirements for Class 3 Medical Assessmentsin the QCARs, Part I, Volume 3.

b) Validation of action proposed. The QCAR-FCL 1 and QCAR-MED regulationsimplemented by the QCAA contain personnel licensing and training regulations.These regulations are based on JAR-FCL 1 and JAR-FCL 3 as well as on ICAOAnnex 1 provisions. The QCAA has implemented procedures for the amendmentand revision of these regulations and the identification of differences between theQCARs and the ICAO SARPs. The ICAO recommendation has been complied with.

4.3.2 a) Action proposed by State. Regarding the recommendation to establish a personnellicensing office and to hire qualified technical staff, the DCAM indicated that aPersonnel Licensing Unit would be established by 31 December 2001 to take charge

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of all licensing responsibilities and activities within the DCAM. In addition, therecruitment of a licensing controller, a flight crew licensing (FCL) examiner, and anAME licensing examiner is already well under way.

b) Validation of action proposed. The Personnel Licensing Section is now establishedas part of the recent QCAA inception. A senior personnel licensing officer has beenappointed and has received adequate training to administer the related tasks. Oneground examiner and one flight examiner assist the personnel licensing officer andare both full-time QCAA employees. The organizational structure and licensingprocedures clearly indicate the tasks, functions and responsibilities of QCAA staffin all matters relating to personnel licensing processes. The ICAO recommendationhas been complied with.

4.3.3 a) Action proposed by State. Concerning the need to amend the Flight CrewLicensing Handbook to include procedures relating to all personnel licensing relatedactivities, the DCAM indicated that the Flight Crew Licensing Handbook would beupdated and renamed the Personnel Licensing Manual by 30 October 2001. Themanual would include procedures related to all personnel licensing activities, suchas licence application processing, designation of examiners and the duties andresponsibilities of personnel involved in licensing and training activities. Provisionson flight crew licensing would be incorporated in Section 1 of the manual, whileprovisions on matters other than flight crew licensing would be included inSection 2.

b) Validation of action proposed. A new personnel licensing handbook has beendeveloped and now contains procedures related to personnel licensing activities. Inaddition, application forms and examiner guidelines have also been established. TheICAO recommendation has been complied with.

4.3.4 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the recommendation to revise the appealprocedures to prevent the appearance of conflict of interest, the DCAM indicatedthat the new Civil Aviation Act of 2001, to be in effect by 30 September 2001,would include a proper process for appealing DCAM decisions on licensingactivities.

b) Validation of action proposed. The new Law No. 15 of 2002 establishes two levelsof appeals and related procedures. The first level of appeal is technical and internalto the QCAA. In this context, a licence holder, an operator or any certificate holdercan appeal to the Chairman of the QCAA if he or she is not satisfied with a decisionmade by a QCAA official including the Chairman. If still not satisfied, agovernment administrative appeal procedure allows for a second level of appealwhereby the certificate holder may appeal to a special government office. TheChairman of the QCAA foresees the establishment of a system, in the near future,for the delegation of authority to the Director of Aviation Safety and the aviationsafety inspectors in order to split licensing and certification activities and appealingfunctions. The ICAO recommendation has been complied with.

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4.3.5 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the need to establish a system for thedesignation and supervision of medical examiners as well as procedures to addressissues regarding medical assessments, the DCAM indicated that, by 31 December2001, the Personnel Licensing Manual would include the procedures for thedesignation and supervision of medical examiners, including the criteria forselection, training and duties of medical examiners. A medical examiner would alsobe appointed to carry out the duties of a DCAM medical assessor. The need forprocedures to deal with false medical declarations made by applicants would beaddressed by 30 September 2001 by an amendment to the QCARs, Part I, Volume 3,paragraph 3.120 (b) and in the Personnel Licensing Manual. Furthermore, theDCAM indicated that it would amend and update the QCARs, Part I, Volume 3 toinclude provisions dealing with the issuance of a medical assessment in cases wherethe medical assessment provisions for licensing are not fully met and also specifyingthe period and circumstances under which a medical examination may be deferred.

b) Validation of action proposed. Requirements and procedures for the designationof medical examiners have been established in the QCAR-MED, which alsoestablishes medical standards for various licences, classes of medical assessment,requirements and conditions for medical assessment for each class, as well asvalidity of the medical certificates. The QCAR-MED also contains requirementsconcerning experience, training and responsibilities of authorized medicalexaminers. Furthermore, the QCAA has established a system for the designation andsupervision of the aviation medicine examiners, as well as a system for reportingresults to the QCAA, and has designated a total of seven aviation medicineexaminers accordingly. With respect to technical matters, the QCAA is assisted bya senior aviation medicine examiner located in Qatar. In addition, an establishedcooperation programme with the United Kingdom CAA allows for any additionaladvice in respect to issuing exemptions or other specific cases. The ICAOrecommendation has been complied with.

4.3.6 a) Action proposed by State. Regarding the need to establish adequate procedures toadminister licensing-related examinations and guidelines for the designation ofexaminers, the DCAM indicted that, by 30 September 2001, the Personnel LicensingManual would include procedures for the effective administration, control andsupervision of licensing-related examinations. An examiner would also be recruitedto prepare, conduct and correct all examinations.

b) Validation of action proposed. The QCAA has recruited a ground examinerresponsible for the preparation, administration and control of theoreticalexaminations. Concerning the practical examinations, the QCAA has also recruiteda flight examiner responsible for the surveillance of the only training organizationin Qatar and monitoring of practical training programmes, as well as the control andsupervision of the designated examiners for intermediate practical examinationsonly. A licensing procedures manual and adequate guidelines for examiners havebeen established by the QCAA, and all final theoretical and practical examinationsare conducted by QCAA staff. The ICAO recommendation has been complied with.

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4.3.7 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the recommendation to establishprocedures for the approval, control and supervision of the training institutes andaviation schools in Qatar, the DCAM indicated that the Approved TrainingOrganization Inspection Manual would be produced by 30 August 2001 whichwould provide the procedures and guidelines for inspection and supervision of allapproved flight training organizations and type rating training organizations. ThePersonnel Licensing Unit would also be given the responsibility of inspecting andapproving the flight training organizations used by Qatari licence holders by the endof December 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. The QCAA has established a system for thecertification and inspection of aviation training centers, which is part of theQCAR-FCL requirements recently implemented. The system includes requirementsand procedures for the designation of instructors taking in consideration theirqualifications and competency, and also procedures for approving and supervisingapproved training. There is currently only one training organization in Qatar, whichis located in Doha, approved for the training of pilots up to commercial pilotlicence (CPL) multi-engine rating. The ground and flight examiners employed bythe QCAA carry out the surveillance programme, consisting of random andscheduled inspections of facilities, training courses and supervision of instructorsand examiners. Concerning the type rating activity usually carried out abroad, theQCAA endorses the approval of the CAA where the training center is located, andin addition to the surveillance carried out by the local CAA, the QCAA conducts amonitoring programme in line with the monitoring of the flight crew trainingprogramme. The staff of the QCAA always conducts the final examinations. TheICAO recommendation has been complied with.

4.4 Aircraft operations certification and supervision

4.4.1 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the need to recruit and retain anadequate number of qualified operations personnel needed to fulfil its safetyoversight responsibilities, the DCAM indicated in its action plan that an additionalflight operations inspector would be recruited by 31 December 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. The QCAA has established a departmentresponsible for the certification and surveillance of air operators. The organizationalchart and the Operations Inspector Handbook establish the tasks, functions andresponsibilities of this department. In addition, the QCAA has launched a vastrecruitment programme and is able to offer conditions of employment andremuneration comparable to those existing in the industry at an international level.The recruitment of an additional operations inspector is still ongoing, and the Headof the Flight Operations Section has not yet been appointed. The ICAOrecommendation remains open.

Note.— Subsequent to the audit follow-up mission, the QCAA submitted an updateon 20 December 2003 indicating that it has recently employed an operationsinspector and is in the process of recruiting additional operations staff.

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4.4.2 a) Action proposed by State. Concerning the recommendation to require operators toestablish the duties and responsibilities of the flight operations officers/flightdispatchers and to include them in the operations manual, the DCAM indicated thatall AOC holders would be required to establish in their operations manuals theduties, responsibilities and professional standards of their flight operations officersby 30 September 2001. Differences between the QCARs and Annex provisionsrelating to flight operations officers and/or flight dispatchers would be notified toICAO by 30 August 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. Requirements concerning training, duties andresponsibilities of flight operations officers/flight dispatchers have beenincorporated in the QCARs applicable to aircraft operations. The QCAA does notissue licences to flight operations officers/flight dispatchers, but the policy of theonly authorized national operator is to recruit only licensed flight operationsofficers/flight dispatchers. Newly recruited licensed flight operations officers/flightdispatchers are provided with specific training and OJT approved by the QCAA andcarried out in house. The ICAO recommendation has been complied with.

4.4.3 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the recommendation to includerequirements for the operator not to assign a pilot-in-command unless that pilot hasmade at least three take-offs and landings within the preceding ninety days, theDCAM indicated that the QCARs, Part 1, paragraph 1.026 (JAR-FLC 1.026) and theQCARs, Part 6, paragraph 1.970 (JAR-FCL 1.970) address this requirement, withthe exception that they both allow for take-offs and landings to be carried out inflight simulators. The difference regarding the use of an approved simulator forrecency requirements would be notified to ICAO by 31 August 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. The QCARs provide for recency requirements forboth pilot-in command and co-pilot. It specifies that an operator shall not assign apilot to act as pilot-in-command of an aeroplane unless, on the same type ofaeroplane within the preceding ninety days, that pilot has made at least threetake-offs and landings. However, the operator may comply with recencyrequirements by using a flight simulator. The QCAA has already notified ICAO ofa difference on this subject. The ICAO recommendation remains open.

Note.— Subsequent to the audit follow-up mission, the QCAA submitted an updateon 20 December 2003 indicating that it is currently in the process of reviewing itsrequirements to align them with the ICAO SARPs.

4.4.4 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the need to establish regulationsspecifying the limitations applicable to the flight time and duty periods for flight andcabin crews, the DCAM indicated that limitations to the flight time and duty periodsof both flight crew and cabin crew are stipulated in the Flight Time Limitation forFlight and Cabin Crew Scheme which was published in ICAO Circular 52-AN/47/6,Sixth Edition, 1984. This scheme, along with the requirements for itsimplementation, would be incorporated into the QCARs, Part 6, Volumes 1, 2 and3 by 30 September 2001.

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b) Validation of action proposed. QCAR-OPS 1, Sub-part Q contains regulationsapplicable to flight time and duty periods for flight and cabin crew members. Inaddition, the operator is required by regulations to introduce these limitations in theoperations manual, as well as the crew scheduling rules, and to establish a systemto ensure compliance with applicable regulations. The ICAO recommendation hasbeen complied with.

4.4.5 a) Action proposed by State. Concerning the recommendation to amend theregulations to incorporate the provisions of Annex 18 and the Technical Instructionsfor the safe transport of dangerous goods by air, the DCAM indicated that thesubject of the safe transport of dangerous goods by air is covered in the QCARs,Part 6, Volume 1 (JAR-OPS 1, Subpart R). Training courses on dangerous goodswould be provided to flight operations inspectors by 31 December 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. Provisions of the ICAO Doc 9284 — TechnicalInstructions have been introduced by reference in Law No. 15 of 2002 andQCAR-OPS 1. Law No. 15 of 2002 also contains enforcement provisions andpenalties relating to various violations. The Flight Operations Section is the entityresponsible for approving the training programmes for AOC holders as well as forresponding to queries from operators and shippers. Two operations inspectors havereceived adequate training. With respect to AOC holders, dangerous goodsprocedures and training programmes have been incorporated into the operationsmanual and crew training has been approved by the QCAA. The ICAOrecommendation has been complied with.

4.4.6 a) Action proposed by State. With regard to the need to establish requirements andprocedures for the delegation of tasks and the supervision and control of delegatedinspection and supervision functions, the DCAM indicated that the FlightOperations Inspection Manual would establish, by 30 October 2001, a mechanismfor the control and supervision of designated examiners who carry out supervisionand inspection duties on behalf of the DCAM.

b) Validation of action proposed. The QCAA does not delegate any part of itssurveillance programme to certified operators, and QCAA flight operationsinspectors carry out ground and en-route inspections as well as the approval andmonitoring of crew training programmes. The ICAO recommendation has beencomplied with.

4.4.7 a) Action proposed by State. Regarding the recommendation to include a requirementin the system for certification of air operators to allow for the evaluation of financialviability, the DCAM indicated that the air transport licensing regulations to bedeveloped as part of the QCARs, Part 6, would require, by 30 December 2001, anevaluation of the financial viability of air operators as part of the certificationprocess. In addition, the Flight Operations Inspection Manual would also requirean evaluation of financial viability as part of the initial certification process for airoperators as well as the continuing surveillance and monitoring of the financialconditions of AOC holders. The DCAM also indicated that, at the same time,

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periodic inspection and financial assessments would become part of the annualinspection programme of AOC holders. Other specialized DCAM departmentswould take part in the evaluation process, as required.

b) Validation of action proposed. Two operators have been certified by the QCAA,one operating on international routes using large aircraft and the other operatinghelicopters on regional routes. Follow-up on the financial situation of AOC holdersis part of the surveillance programme established by the QCAA accordingto QCAR-OPS 1 and QCAR-OPS 3. The ICAO recommendation has beencomplied with.

4.5 Airworthiness of aircraft

4.5.1 a) Action proposed by State. With regard to the recommendation that the Governmentof Qatar should enable the Director of the DCAM to recruit and retain adequatelyqualified personnel and that a document be developed specifying the duties andresponsibilities of airworthiness inspectors, the DCAM indicated that once the CivilAviation Act of 2001 is ratified, the Director of Civil Aviation will be authorized torecruit and retain an adequate number of qualified and experienced airworthinessinspectors, including avionics inspectors, by 30 December 2001. It also indicatedthat the specific duties and responsibilities of the airworthiness inspectors would bedefined in the Inspection Manual of Aviation Safety Inspectors (Airworthiness) by30 September 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. The Airworthiness Section has initiated anintensive recruitment process which has almost been completed, as candidates forthe various positions have been selected. However, none of the positions has beenfilled and the Airworthiness Section is still managed by only one inspector. TheAirworthiness Section has developed an inspector manual based on ICAODoc 9760 — Airworthiness Manual, which contains a detailed structure of theAirworthiness Section including detailed descriptions of the duties andresponsibilities for the newly established positions. However, with the foreseeableextension of the fleet of the main air operator, including new aircraft types such asthe Airbus A380, the Airworthiness Section should further review its capability toproperly discharge its responsibilities. A review of the inspector manual revealedthat further amplification is required as relevant guidance material and checklists ofthe JARs are being used but not addressed in the manual. The ICAOrecommendation remains open.

Note.— Subsequent to the audit follow-up mission, the QCAA submitted an updateon 20 December 2003 indicating that the recruitment process is currently ongoing;however, the QCAA has already recruited two additional airworthiness inspectorsand is seeking the recruitment of a third airworthiness inspector.

4.5.2 a) Action proposed by State. Regarding the need to establish requirements for allaircraft to comply with noise certification standards and carry on board noisecertificates, the DCAM indicated that, by 30 September 2001, it would establish and

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publish the QCARs, Part 16, Volume 1 — Aircraft Noise which would incorporatethe relevant ICAO SARPs, thereby requiring all aircraft to comply with noisecertification Standards as well as to carry noise certificates on board. Qatar noisecertificates would also be amended to reflect the new QCARs.

b) Validation of action proposed. The QCAA has issued QCAR Part 16, Volume 1 —Aircraft Noise. This QCAR clearly requires aircraft to comply with the said noiseregulation and to carry the noise certificate on board the aircraft. Qatar noisecertificates have been updated and refer to the new QCAR. The ICAOrecommendation has been complied with.

4.5.3 a) Action proposed by State. Concerning the need to develop an effective system toreceive, transmit and track operator compliance with mandatory continuingairworthiness information, the DCAM indicated that a system for receiving andtransmitting mandatory continuing airworthiness information, such as ADs andservice bulletins, would be established by 1 October 2001, along with acomputerized databank to be controlled by the Airworthiness Unit and madeavailable to all airworthiness inspectors. All mandatory continuing airworthinessinformation disseminated to operators would be assigned a dissemination controlnumber for inspectors to easily verify compliance action and the date it isundertaken by operators. Furthermore, the DCAM indicated that it would carry outthe verification, inspection and examination of compliance with mandatorycontinuing airworthiness information during the Certificate of Maintenance ReviewAudit of the operator’s maintenance programme, conducted every four months orupon completion of the compliance period. In addition, an AV-DATA AD Trackerwould be installed by 30 August 2001 to support verification of applicable ADsmade mandatory by the DCAM. The formal procedures for receiving, transmittingand tracking mandatory continuing airworthiness information would be establishedand published in the Inspection Manual of Aviation Safety Inspectors(Airworthiness) by 30 September 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. Subscriptions have been arranged to receive ADsfor aircraft/equipment used in Qatar on a biweekly schedule. Furthermore, theInternet is used to follow-up ADs issued by the State of Design. Upon review ofnewly published AD notes, the ICAO audit follow-up team confirmed that theQCAA transfers the ADs to the operator and requires feedback oncompliance/non-compliance. Further verification of compliance is carried out at therenewal of the certificate of airworthiness. The actual AD status of each aircraft iskept in the aircraft file as well as documentation concerning major modifications andrepairs. The ICAO recommendation has been complied with.

4.5.4 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the need to establish requirements forspecific operating provisions, such as ETOPS, required navigation performance(RNP), minimum navigation performance specifications (MNPS), as well asCategory (CAT) II and CAT III maintenance requirements, the DCAM indicatedthat this issue would be addressed in the QCARs, Part 6, Volume 1 — CommercialOperations (Aeroplanes), Volume 2 — General Aviation (Aeroplanes), and

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Volume 3 — Commercial Operations (Helicopters), and QCAR-All WeatherOperations (AWO) by 30 September 2001. The DCAM also indicted that, at thesame time, approvals related to the specific operating provisions for ETOPS, RNP,MNPS, CAT II and CAT III would be issued by the DCAM in the AOC inaccordance with the QCARs. Meanwhile, mandatory DCAM airworthiness noticeswould be established and published by 30 September 2001, to formally adopt thefollowing for compliance by operators prior to carrying out any operations thatrequire specific operating approvals: AC 120.424/JAA Information Leaflet No. 20for ETOPS; ICAO Doc 9613 for RNP; ICAO Doc 7030/4 for MNPS; JAATemporary Guidance Leaflet Nos. 12 and 23 for AWO (CAT II and CAT III).

b) Validation of action proposed. QCARs, Part 6 covers the maintenance aspects ofoperations such as ETOPS, AWO, RNP and MNPS. Relevant approvals includingmaintenance aspects are annexed to the AOC. Furthermore, AirworthinessNotice No. 18 — All Weather Operations/Maintenance Aspects and AirworthinessNotice No. 27 — ETOPS/Maintenance Requirements have been issued to providefurther details and procedures for the approval process. Operators are required toestablish an ETOPS manual, and ETOPS aspects need to be covered in the relevantmaintenance programme. These manuals are kept in the Airworthiness Section andwere found to adhere to ICAO guidance material. The ICAO recommendation hasbeen complied with.

4.5.5 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the recommendation to establish aprogramme to approve and maintain ongoing oversight of maintenance reliabilityprogrammes for air operators, the DCAM indicated that the Inspection Manual ofAviation Safety Inspectors (Airworthiness) would establish and outline, by30 September 2001, a programme to approve and maintain ongoing oversight ofmaintenance reliability programmes of Qatari operators, including guidelines andprocedures for approving any changes the maintenance programme and forprogramme escalation.

b) Validation of action proposed. Chapter 6 of the newly developed AirworthinessInspector Manual contains detailed requirements and guidance for the approval ofreliability programmes. The reliability programme for the fleet of the major operatoris described in the relevant technical procedures manual (TPM) and is explicitlyapproved by the Airworthiness Section. The relevant part of the TPM was reviewedby the ICAO audit follow-up team and was found to meet all ICAO requirements.Comprehensive reliability reports are prepared by the operator every three months,submitted to the QCAA, reviewed and kept by the Airworthiness Section. Chapter6 of the Airworthiness Inspector Manual contains further detailed procedures for theapproval of maintenance programme amendments and escalations which are kept bythe Airworthiness Section. The ICAO recommendation has been complied with.

4.5.6 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to the need to establish sufficientmanpower and resources for the conduct of continuing supervision of maintenanceand engineering activities of AOC holders, including maintenance subcontractors,and the need to establish a formal schedule for these audits, the DCAM indicated

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that, by 30 December 2001, it would hire additional airworthiness inspectors andwould also request additional government funds for the Airworthiness Unit toconduct continuing supervision of maintenance and engineering activities of AOCholders and their maintenance subcontractors. Meanwhile, a formal schedule ofaudits by the Airworthiness Unit would be established and published in theInspection Manual of Aviation Safety Inspectors (Airworthiness) by30 October 2001, and records of the audits will be properly documented, filed andmaintained in the Airworthiness Unit.

b) Validation of action proposed. No additional airworthiness inspectors have beenrecruited by the QCAA so far. Due to the persistent shortage of inspectors, theAirworthiness Section has not been able to establish a formal surveillanceprogramme which encompasses the entire scope of aviation activities in Qatar.Furthermore, the Airworthiness Inspector Manual does not contain detailedguidance on the establishment of an annual audit plan. The ICAO recommendationremains open.

Note.— Subsequent to the audit follow-up mission, the QCAA submitted an updateon 20 December 2003 indicating that the ICAO recommendation will be adequatelyaddressed when the recently recruited airworthiness inspectors commence theirofficial duties.

4.5.7 a) Action proposed by State. Concerning the need to develop guidelines andprocedures for certification standards for technicians performing specializedmaintenance such as welding of aeronautical products and NDT, the DCAMindicated that these would be published in the form of DCAM airworthiness noticesby 30 September 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. QCAR/JAR 145.30 and related Acceptable Meansof Compliance (AMC) 145.30 contain requirements and guidance for specializedtasks, such as welding and NDT. The QCAA has issued AirworthinessNotice No. 28, which outlines the procedures for approval of organizationsrequesting authorization to perform NDT and contains a reference to EuropeanStandard EN 4179-2000 — Qualification and Approval for Non-destructive Testing.Furthermore, any welding authorization is based on compliance with BCAR A8-10of the United Kingdom CAA. The ICAO recommendation has been complied with.

4.5.8 a) Action proposed by State. Regarding the need to obtain sufficient resources andmanpower for the establishment of an up-to-date technical library, the DCAMindicated that it would request government funds to establish and maintain anup-to-date airworthiness technical library and would hire a qualified andexperienced technical librarian by 30 December 2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. Funding for the establishment of a technical libraryhas been made available to the Airworthiness Section. Updated maintenanceorganization manuals are kept in the section, and ICAO airworthinessdocumentation was reviewed by the ICAO audit follow-up team and was found to

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be complete. However, the position of technical librarian as defined in theAirworthiness Inspector Manual has not yet been filled, and an organized librarystill needs to be developed. The ICAO recommendation remains open.

Note.— Subsequent to the audit follow-up mission, the QCAA submitted an updateon 20 December 2003 indicating that the recruitment of a technical librarian is inits final stages.

4.5.9 a) Action proposed by State. With regard to the need to establish procedures to ensurethat operators are provided with information concerning the least-risk bomb locationto be incorporated into the aircraft flight manual of each aircraft, the DCAMindicated that the Annex 8 Standard regarding least-risk bomb location is notimplemented in Qatar and that a difference would be notified to ICAO by 30 August2001.

b) Validation of action proposed. The QCAA has notified ICAO of a differenceregarding Annex 8, Part III, 9.3.5, Least-risk bomb location. The ICAOrecommendation has been complied with.

4.5.10 a) Action proposed by State. With respect to lease agreements between commercialair transport operators, the DCAM indicated that Airworthiness NoticesNos. 18 and 21 would be revised by 30 August 2001 to ensure that consideration isgiven to the airworthiness of the aircraft, the performance of maintenance and thesigning of the maintenance release. Regarding the audit and supervision of leaseagreements entered into by Qatar operators, the DCAM indicated that, by30 September 2001, it would carry out these functions during the initial applicationfor acceptance by the operators and not later than every four months during theperiod of the lease. Specifically, the audit and oversight programme of maintenanceresponsibility, which would include verification of compliance with mandatorycontinuing airworthiness information, would be conducted in accordance with theprocedures outlined in the Inspection Manual of Aviation Safety Inspectors(Airworthiness).

b) Validation of action proposed. The QCAA has revised AirworthinessNotice No. 11 — International Aircraft Leasing Arrangements — AirworthinessRequirements and Procedures. This notice provides formal guidance on aircraftleasing relating to the continuing airworthiness responsibilities of Qatar when it isinvolved either as State of the Operator or as the State of Registry in the transfer ofan aircraft under lease, charter or interchange arrangements. Qatar is not presentlyinvolved in any lease arrangement requiring transfer of responsibilities. The ICAOrecommendation has been complied with.

5. UPDATE ON DEPARTURES FROM ICAO SARPs

During the audit follow-up mission, an updated list on the status of implementation anddifferences existing between the national regulations and Annexes 1, 6, Part I and 8 SARPs and/or SARPs

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not implemented was provided to the audit follow-up team. However, an updated list on the differencesexisting between the national regulations and Annex 6, Parts II and III has not been provided. As such, Qataris urged to conduct a thorough review of its national legislation and regulations and to notify ICAO of anydifferences as required under Article 38 of the Chicago Convention. The differences provided regardingAnnexes 1, 6, Part I and 8 will be included in the relevant Annex supplement in line with Article 17 of theMOU signed between Qatar and ICAO and in accordance with Article 38 of the Chicago Convention.

6. AUDIT FINDINGS AND DIFFERENCES DATABASE (AFDD)

6.1 The general objective of the AFDD is to assist States in identifying the elements that needattention in the implementation of the proposed corrective action plan. The information is also intended toassist States in establishing a priority of actions to be taken to resolve safety concerns identified by the audits.The appendix to this report contains a graphic representation of the lack of effective implementation of thecritical elements of safety oversight (ICAO Doc 9734 refers) in Qatar and at a global level. The graphicrepresentation of the State level depicts the situation during the initial audit and the situation at the time ofthe audit follow-up mission. The graphic representation will enable Qatar to prioritize the necessary correctiveactions and to identify assistance requirements based on its personnel, technical and financial capabilities inconsideration of its safety oversight obligations.

6.2 As indicated in paragraph 1.2 above, the scope of the audit follow-up mission was limitedto validating the progress made in the implementation of the State’s corrective action plan and did notconstitute an audit as described in ICAO Doc 9735. The graphic representation of the situation in the Stateat the time of the audit follow-up mission, as contained in the appendix to this report, is similarly limited toreflecting the progress made in implementing the ICAO recommendations made during the initial audit anddoes not purport to depict a current comprehensive evaluation of all aspects of a State’s safety oversightsystem. Considering the mandate for ICAO audit follow-up missions and the time available to conduct suchmissions, it is possible that some safety concerns may exist in the State which are not covered in this reportor reflected in the appendix.

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