Canadian Aviation Regulations

805.03 (1) The quality assurance program required under paragraph 107.03(g) in respect of an applicant for, or a holder of, an ATS operations certificate shall include a process for quality assurance that includes periodic reviews or audits of the activities authorized under a certificate and reviews or audits, for cause, of those activities.

(2) The holder of an ATS operations certificate shall ensure that records relating to the findings resulting from the quality assurance program are distributed to the appropriate manager for corrective action and follow-up in accordance with the policies and procedures specified in the manual or document established under subsection 805.02(2).

(3) The holder of an ATS operations certificate shall establish an audit system in respect of the quality assurance program that consists of the following:

• (a) an initial audit conducted within 12 months after the day on which the ATS operations certificate is issued;

• (b) an audit of the entire quality assurance program carried out every three years, calculated

  • (i) in the case of an ATS operations certificate issued before January 1, 2008, from that date, and

  • (ii) in the case of an ATS operations certificate issued on or after January 1, 2008, from the date of the initial audit;

• (c) checklists of all activities carried out under the certificate;

• (d) a record of each occurrence of compliance or non-compliance with the manual or any other document established under subsection 805.02(2) that is found during an audit referred to in paragraph (a) or (b);

• (e) procedures for ensuring that each finding of an audit is communicated to the accountable executive;

• (f) follow-up procedures for ensuring that corrective actions are effective; and

• (g) a system for recording the findings of an audit referred to in paragraph (a) or (b), corrective actions and follow-ups.

(4) The audit referred to in paragraph (3)(b) shall be carried out in one of the following ways:

• (a) as a complete audit, or

• (b) as a series of audits conducted at intervals determined by the holder of the ATS operations certificate and set out in the manual or document established under subsection 805.02(2).

(5) The records resulting from a system required under paragraph (3)(g) shall be retained for the greater of

• (a) two audit cycles, and

• (b) two years.

(6) The duties related to the quality assurance program that involve specific tasks or activities among the activities of an ATS operations certificate holder shall be fulfilled by persons who are not responsible for carrying out those tasks or activities unless

• (a) the size, nature and complexity of the operations and activities authorized under the ATS operations certificate justify the fulfilling of those duties by the person responsible for carrying out those tasks or activities;

• (b) the holder of the ATS operations certificate demonstrates to the Minister by means of a risk analysis, that the fulfilling of those duties by the person responsible for carrying out those tasks or activities will not result in an unacceptable risk to aviation safety; and

• (c) the holder of the ATS operations certificate provides the Minister, in writing, with the information required under paragraphs (a) and (b).