A document of cooperation arrangement for mutual acceptance of approving aircraft maintenance units was signed in Beijing Friday among the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), Macao Civil Aviation Authority (AACM) and Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD), a government press release said.

This cooperation arrangement, an expansion of a previous one signed in May 2002, covers only aircraft component maintenance and includes entire aircraft maintenance.

It allows maintenance units in Hong Kong, once recognized under the arrangement, to maintain aircraft registered in the Chinese Mainland and Macao without seeking additional approval from the CAAC and AACM respectively. Likewise, maintenance units in the Chinese Mainland and Macao may maintain aircraft registered in Hong Kong without additional approval from the CAD.

The airline industry will also benefit from the arrangement as they can have more choices on their maintenance contractors. Through this arrangement, the reduction in duplication of approval and oversight activities maximizes the utilization of resources of both the regulators and the industry.

The CAD has entered into similar arrangements with Singapore and Canada and is in active discussions with the regulators in other countries to establish similar arrangements.

(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2006)