With numerous changes to Minimum Equipment Lists (MELs) having gone into effect in 2017 and with more to come in 2018, now is a great time to ensure your MEL is up-to-date and compliant.
The most notable change last year was the enforcement of the ICAO Annex 6 and EASA requirements requiring operators to have a specific MEL for their aircraft when operating to or from EASA member states.
U.S. Part 91 twin turboprops and jets flown in Europe are now required to operate with an MEL developed for a specific aircraft under Letter of Authorization (LOA) D195, rather than with a manufacturer’s aircraft model Master MEL (MMEL) approved by the FAA under LOA DO95.
In addition, there were also a number of required revisions introduced to FAA Master MELs and policy letters during the course of 2017.
Check the list below to see if your aircraft is on it. If so, you will need to make sure that your MEL is up-to-date. Operators have 90 days from the date of the MMEL to revise their manuals.
What’s new in 2018?
This year, we expect to see significant changes to MELs for U.S. Part 91 operators and further updates to MMELs. So far, there have already been two updates to MMELs in 2018, including for the Citation 500 series.
The FAA is reportedly planning to release a Notice requiring all aircraft operating internationally to have an individual MEL and D195 LOA. It is also anticipated that EASA will announce that, while they will continue to enforce the D195 LOA mandate for U.S. Part 91 operators, they will grant a 12-month grace period to allow operators time to comply.
Revised FAA MMELs include:
- Boeing 737 – Rev 59 – 02/13/2017
- Challenger 600 – Rev 10a – 01/06/2017
- Falcon 7X/8X – Rev 11 – 11/06/2017
- Falcon 900EX EASy, 900DX – Rev 8 – 01/19/2017
- Embraer EMB-500 (Phenom 100) – Rev 3 – 05/11/2017
- Embraer EMB-545 / EMB-550 (Legacy 450, Legacy 500) – Rev 2 – 07/28/2017
- Gulfstream G280 – Rev 3 – 10/31/2017
- Gulfstream V Series – Rev 9 – 12/18/2017
- Cessna Citation 500 Series – Rev 10 – 01/03/2018
Policy letter changes include:
- Navigation Database text – 6/1/2017
- Protective Breathing Equipment (PBE) – 12/4/2017