Apply for an EASA Air Operator Certificate
How to apply for and hold an EASA Air Operator Certificate (AOC) under Part-ORO: what to submit, the nominated persons, and keeping the certificate valid.
Dionysis Kefalas7 min readFor Air Ops staff
Part 2 of 6 in EASA Air Operations Show parts
Quotes checked on against EASA Easy Access Rules for Air Operations (Regulation (EU) No 965/2012) — 27 Mar 2026 revision.
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The certificate at the centre of everything
The Air Operator Certificate is the document the competent authority issues before CAT operations begin. The overview guide, EASA Air Operations Explained, places that certificate in Regulation (EU) No 965/2012. This guide is the application, the named people, and the conditions that keep the certificate valid.
The authority that oversees the operator is named in ORO.GEN.105.
For the purpose of this Annex, the competent authority exercising oversight over operators subject to a certification or declaration obligation or specialised operation authorisation shall be for operators having their principal place of business in a Member State, the authority designated by that Member State.
Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, Easy Access Rules for Air Operations, 27 Mar 2026 revision.
Send the application to that authority.
What goes into the application
ORO.AOC.100 is the application itself: what is sent, and what you have to show.
(a)Without prejudice to Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council, prior to commencing CAT operations with aeroplanes or helicopters or IAM operations with VCA, the operator shall apply for and obtain an AOC issued by the competent authority.
(b)The operator shall provide the following information to the competent authority:
(1)the official name and business name, address and mailing address of the applicant;
(2)a description of the proposed operation, including the type(s) and number of aircraft to be operated;
(3)a description of the management system, including organisational structure;
(4)the name of the accountable manager;
(5)the names of the nominated persons as required under point ORO.AOC.135(a), together with their qualifications and experience;
(6)a copy of the operations manual as required under point ORO.MLR.100;
(7)a statement that all the documentation submitted to the competent authority has been verified by the applicant and found to comply with the applicable requirements.
(c)Applicants shall demonstrate to the competent authority that:
(1)the CAT operations with aeroplanes and helicopters comply with the essential requirements of Annex V to Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, this Annex (Part-ORO), Annex IV (Part-CAT) and Annex V (Part-SPA) to this Regulation, and Annex I (Part-26) to Regulation (EU) 2015/640;
(1a) for IAM operations with VCA, they comply with the essential requirements of Annex V to Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, this Annex III (Part-ORO), Annex V (Part-SPA) and Annex IX (Part-IAM) to this Regulation, and with Annex I (Part-26) to Regulation (EU) 2015/640;
(2)all aircraft operated have been issued with a certificate of airworthiness (CofA) in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 or are dry-leased in accordance with point ORO.AOC.110(d); and
(3)their organisation and management is suitable and properly matched to the scale and scope of the intended operation.
Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, Easy Access Rules for Air Operations, 27 Mar 2026 revision.
Paragraph (a) is the gate before the first CAT or IAM flight. Paragraph (b) is the pack you send, and (b)(7) is your own statement that the pack complies. Paragraph (c) is the demonstration, including the aircraft paperwork in (c)(2) and the scale-and-scope test in (c)(3). Do not drop the essential-requirements or Part-26 limb of (c)(1).
The management system in (b)(3) and the operations manual in (b)(6) are built in The Operations Manual and Management System under Part-ORO.
The people behind the certificate
The application names an accountable manager. The points below say what that role is, and which other persons are nominated.
(a)The operator shall appoint an accountable manager, who has the authority for ensuring that all activities can be financed and carried out in accordance with the applicable requirements. The accountable manager shall be responsible for establishing and maintaining an effective management system.
[…]
Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, Easy Access Rules for Air Operations, 27 Mar 2026 revision.
(a)The operator shall establish, implement and maintain a management system that includes:
(1)clearly defined lines of responsibility and accountability throughout the operator, including a direct safety accountability of the accountable manager;
[…]
Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, Easy Access Rules for Air Operations, 27 Mar 2026 revision.
ORO.GEN.210(a) is the appointment. ORO.GEN.200(a)(1) is the direct safety accountability. The name goes in the application at (b)(4).
Beneath that, the operator nominates persons for named areas.
(a)In accordance with point ORO.GEN.210(b), the operator shall nominate persons responsible for the management and supervision of the following areas:
(1)flight operations;
(2)crew member training;
(3)ground operations;
(4)continuing airworthiness or for the continuing airworthiness management contract in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, as the case may be.
[…]
Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, Easy Access Rules for Air Operations, 27 Mar 2026 revision.
The areas are (a)(1) to (a)(4). Names, qualifications and experience go in the application at ORO.AOC.100(b)(5).
Keeping the certificate valid
ORO.GEN.135 is what the certificate's validity depends on.
(a)The operator’s certificate shall remain valid subject to all of the following:
(1)the operator remaining in compliance with the relevant requirements of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 and its delegated an implementing acts, taking into account the provisions related to the handling of findings as specified under ORO.GEN.150 of this Annex;
(2)the competent authority being granted access to the operator as defined in point ORO.GEN.140 of this Annex to determine continued compliance with the relevant requirements of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 and its delegated and implementing acts;
(3)the certificate not being surrendered or revoked.
(b)Upon revocation or surrender the certificate shall be returned to the competent authority without delay.
Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, Easy Access Rules for Air Operations, 27 Mar 2026 revision.
The certificate stays valid only while every condition in (a) still holds. Paragraph (b) is what you do if the certificate is given up or taken away.
When the operation changes
Some changes need approval before you make them. Others are notified under a procedure the authority has already approved.
(a)Any change affecting:
(1)the scope of the certificate or the operations specifications of an operator; or
(2)any of the elements of the operator’s management system as required in ORO.GEN.200(a)(1) and (a)(2),
shall require prior approval by the competent authority.
(b)For any changes requiring prior approval in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 and its Implementing Rules, the operator shall apply for and obtain an approval issued by the competent authority. The application shall be submitted before any such change takes place, in order to enable the competent authority to determine continued compliance with Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 and its Implementing Rules and to amend, if necessary, the operator certificate and related terms of approval attached to it.
The operator shall provide the competent authority with any relevant documentation.
The change shall only be implemented upon receipt of formal approval by the competent authority in accordance with ARO.GEN.330.
The operator shall operate under the conditions prescribed by the competent authority during such changes, as applicable.
(c)All changes not requiring prior approval shall be managed and notified to the competent authority as defined in the procedure approved by the competent authority in accordance with ARO.GEN.310(c).
Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, Easy Access Rules for Air Operations, 27 Mar 2026 revision.
The prior-approval triggers are (a)(1) and (a)(2). Paragraph (b) is the timing: apply before the change, and do not implement it until formal approval. Paragraph (c) is everything else.
Where this connects
The management system and the operations manual are built in The Operations Manual and Management System under Part-ORO. Crew composition and flight time limitations are in EASA Flight Time Limitations (FTL) and Crew Requirements. Specific approvals are in EASA Specific Approvals (Part-SPA).
Where to read it yourself
The certification rules live in Annex III (Part-ORO) of Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, consolidated in the EASA Easy Access Rules for Air Operations. Every citation in this guide was checked against the 2026-03-27 revision.
Educational content, not regulatory compliance advice. Verify against the current regulation text before relying on it.
In this series
Related
- EASA Air Operations Explained: Part-CAT, the AOC and Operator ResponsibilitiesGuide · 6 min
- The Operations Manual and Management System under Part-OROGuide · 5 min
- EASA Flight Time Limitations (FTL) and Crew RequirementsGuide · 14 min
- EASA Specific Approvals (Part-SPA): LVO, PBN, ETOPS and MoreGuide · 5 min
Written by Dionysis Kefalas. Retired Hellenic Air Force Captain and founder of Avioverse. About the author
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