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145.A.90 states that a Part 145 approval remains valid as long as the organisation continues to meet the requirements of Part 145, subject to the organisation granting access to the competent authority and the approval not being surrendered or revoked.
What it means in practice
Unlike some approvals that expire and must be renewed periodically, a Part 145 approval remains valid indefinitely, provided the organisation remains in compliance. However, this continued validity depends on several conditions: the organisation must continue to comply with all Part 145 requirements, it must allow the competent authority access for inspections and audits, it must not surrender or have the approval revoked, and it must pay any applicable fees.
If the organisation ceases to comply with Part 145, the competent authority may suspend or revoke the approval. The organisation may also voluntarily surrender the approval if it no longer wishes to perform approved maintenance activities.
Key requirements
The organisation must remain in continuous compliance with Part 145. It must grant the competent authority unrestricted access to its facilities, aircraft, components, documents, records, data, procedures, and any other material relevant to its approved activities. The competent authority conducts ongoing oversight, including planned and unplanned audits, to verify continued compliance. If compliance lapses, the authority may take enforcement action ranging from findings requiring corrective action to suspension or revocation of the approval.
Common compliance gaps
The most significant risk to continued validity is allowing compliance standards to slip over time. Organisations that passed their initial assessment sometimes allow procedures to degrade, training to lapse, or management attention to shift away from regulatory compliance. Failure to close audit findings within agreed timeframes is a direct threat to continued validity, as unresolved findings indicate ongoing non-compliance.
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