What is meant by "customising" a maintenance programme?

M.A.302(a) states that the maintenance of each aircraft shall be carried out in accordance with an aircraft maintenance programme.

The same aircraft, operated by the same operator and with the same type of operation may be included in the same maintenance programme.

The maintenance programme for a particular aircraft may have specific or particular tasks or modified in both content and interval of completion as a consequence of repairs, modifications carried out on that aircraft or inspection results. This is a certain type of "customisation" or particularisation.

M.A.302(d) states that the programme must comply with:

• Instructions issued by the aviation authority
• Instructions ensuring continued airworthiness, e.g. from type certificate holders, certification specifications, operator initiatives, owner, contracted CAMO, etc.

Justified acceptance of the above may lead to particularities of the maintenance programme of an aircraft or group of aircraft that constitute "customisation".

"To customise is to particularise for an operator or aircraft or type of operation the requirements for application of a maintenance programme to an aircraft or group of aircraft. The degree of customisation to be applied in each case shall be the maximum possible.