Recently, the Ministry of Transport announced the "Regulations on the Management of Civil Aviation Metrology" (Ministry of Transport Order No. 6 of 2024), which will be officially implemented on June 1, 2024. In order to facilitate relevant units and individuals to better understand the content of the regulations and effectively implement them, the following interpretation is given:
The regulations are a comprehensive revision of the "Regulations on the Management of Civil Aviation Metrology in China" (Order No. 55 of the Civil Aviation Administration of China) promulgated by the former Civil Aviation Administration of China on October 11, 1996. This revision complies with national metrology laws and regulations, clarifies the metrology supervision responsibilities of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and strives to be accurate, detailed and easy to understand. The overall framework removes the division of chapters, adjusts the "definition" to the "Appendix", adds the provisions of the metrology technical specifications of the civil aviation department, simplifies the legal responsibilities, and deletes the rewards and punishments and funding clauses. The key contents that need to be interpreted in this regulation are as follows:
Article 1 Purpose of formulation
Delete the original Article 1 "to facilitate the realization of safety first, normal flight, and high-quality service", focus on the main responsibilities of metrology work, and add "Laws and administrative regulations such as the "Implementation Rules of the Metrology Law of the People's Republic of China" as the basis for the formulation of regulations.
Article 2 Scope of application
Delete the original Article 2 "Metrology management" and "Metrology testing" and change it to "Civil aviation metrology equipment management, establishment and use of civil aviation special metrology standards, and revision of metrology technical specifications of civil aviation departments". According to the superior law, the supervision scope of civil aviation metrology work is further clarified.
Article 3 Measurement units
Clarify the use requirements of civil aviation measurement units. It stipulates: "Civil aviation measurement implements the national legal measurement unit system, including international system of units and other measurement units selected by the state. If non-national legal measurement units are used, they shall be implemented in accordance with relevant regulations."
Article 4: Duties of the Civil Aviation Administration of China for Metrology Management
It generally describes the duties of the Civil Aviation Administration of China for metrology management, and stipulates: "The Civil Aviation Administration of China shall supervise and manage civil aviation metrology work in accordance with its duties. The Civil Aviation Administration of China may entrust civil aviation metrology technical support units to be responsible for the specific implementation of relevant metrology work in the civil aviation field."
According to the adjustment of the responsibilities of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the original Article 5 "Metrology management responsibilities of the Civil Aviation Regional Administration" is deleted; according to the actual work of civil aviation metrology, the original Article 5 "Requirements for metrology management agencies of enterprises and institutions", Articles 7 to 10 "Work responsibilities of civil aviation three-level metrology technical agencies", and Article 11 "Metrology technology entrusted unit representative system" are deleted to give play to the resource allocation role of the market and fully stimulate the vitality of market entities.
Article 5 Civil Aviation Metering Instruments and Measurement Value Traceability
According to the superior law, the use and measurement value management requirements of civil aviation metrology instruments are refined. It is stipulated that: "General metrology instruments shall be traced back to national metrology benchmarks or social public metrology standards in accordance with relevant national regulations, and civil aviation special metrology instruments shall be traced back to civil aviation special metrology standards." The original Article 15 "Imported special metrology instruments that cannot be calibrated domestically shall be sent abroad for calibration" is deleted, and it is stipulated that: "Imported civil aviation special metrology instruments that cannot be traced domestically can be traced by international comparison." After the adjustment, the measurement value traceability of civil aviation metrology instruments is more in line with the current management requirements of the country and better aligned with international standards.
Article 6 Establishment Process of Civil Aviation Special Metrology Standards
According to the superior law, the original Article 13 "Special metrology standard instruments shall be organized by the metrology management department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China to establish standards and assessments" is deleted, and it is stipulated that: "The Civil Aviation Administration of China may entrust civil aviation enterprises and institutions to establish civil aviation special metrology standards according to work needs. To establish the highest special metrology standards for civil aviation, the entrusted unit shall apply to the metrology administrative department of the State Council through the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and use it after passing the assessment hosted by the metrology administrative department of the State Council". The establishment and assessment of civil aviation special metrology standards is an administrative licensing matter of the metrology administrative department of the State Council. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has no relevant assessment and approval responsibilities. After the revision, it is more in line with the requirements of the current national metrology regulations.
Article 7 Establishment and Use Conditions of Civil Aviation Special Metrology Standards
According to the superior law, clarifying the conditions that should be met for the establishment and use of civil aviation special metrology standards is conducive to better guiding industry units to carry out standard establishment and use work.
Article 8 Verification requirements for civil aviation special measurement standards
According to the superior law, the verification requirements for civil aviation special measurement standards are clarified, and it is stipulated that: "The highest special measurement standards for civil aviation are subject to mandatory verification, and other special measurement standards for civil aviation are subject to regular self-verification by the user unit or sent to other measurement verification institutions for verification". The superior law only requires mandatory verification of the highest special measurement standards for civil aviation, and other special measurement standards for civil aviation do not specify the verification method. The requirements of this regulation are consistent with the superior law.
Article 9 Data quality of civil aviation measurement verification institutions
In order to ensure the accuracy and reliability of measurement values, the data quality of civil aviation measurement verification institutions is clarified, and it is stipulated that: "The accuracy and traceability of measurement data issued by civil aviation measurement verification institutions shall comply with the requirements of relevant laws, regulations and metrological technical specifications".
Article 10 Data management requirements for civil aviation measurement verification institutions
In order to ensure the accuracy and reliability of measurement values, the data management requirements of civil aviation measurement verification institutions are clarified, and it is stipulated that: "Civil aviation measurement verification institutions shall establish a traceability mechanism for measurement data, results and other necessary information, and shall establish archives for relevant records and report copies of measurement processes and conditions".
Article 11 Requirements for civil aviation metrology verification institutions to carry out compulsory verification work
Clarify the requirements for compulsory verification work. The superior law only stipulates the requirements for compulsory verification work. According to the superior law and the actual work of civil aviation, the compulsory verification work is required. It is stipulated that: "Civil aviation metrology verification institutions that carry out compulsory verification work shall obtain authorization from the metrology administrative department of the people's government at or above the county level to become a statutory metrology verification institution and obtain authorization to carry out metrology verification work." Delete the original Article 22 "For foreign technical institutions that undertake the verification of special metrology instruments for Chinese civil aviation, the metrology management department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China shall organize the approval work in accordance with relevant requirements." The authorization of metrology verification work is an administrative licensing matter of the national metrology administrative department, and the Civil Aviation Administration of China has no relevant approval responsibilities. After the revision, the civil aviation metrology verification work is more in line with the requirements of the superior law.
Clarify the management requirements for metrology personnel. According to the superior law, the management requirements for metrology personnel after the cancellation of the administrative licensing of metrology inspectors are implemented, and the original Chapter 5 "Metrology Personnel" is deleted. It is stipulated that: "Metrology inspectors who perform mandatory verification tasks shall obtain the professional qualification certificate of registered metrologists and register." Cancel the original Article 18 of the regulation that "the metrology standard instruments, metrology inspectors, environmental conditions and rules and regulations of metrology technical institutions at all levels shall be approved by the metrology management agency of the Civil Aviation Administration of China or its designated agency, and the certificates shall be issued before they can undertake metrology verification, repair, testing and arbitration work within the civil aviation industry."
Clarify the working basis of metrology verification. According to the superior law, it is stipulated that: "The metrology verification work of civil aviation special metrology instruments shall be carried out in accordance with the national metrology verification procedures or the metrology verification procedures of the civil aviation department."
Articles 12, 13, and 14 Metrology Technical Specifications of Civil Aviation Department
Clarify the formulation principles, preparation process and release and disclosure requirements of the metrology technical specifications of the civil aviation department, and better guide enterprises and institutions to formulate and implement the metrology technical specifications of the civil aviation department.
Article 15 Rewards for Metrology Technology Innovation
To encourage innovation in metrology technology, it is stipulated that: "Metrology technical specifications of the civil aviation department with technological innovation or independent intellectual property rights, high technical level and significant benefits shall be rewarded in accordance with relevant national regulations."
Article 16 Supervision and Management
According to the superior law, the objects of civil aviation metrology supervision are clarified. Delete the original Article 19 "Aircraft maintenance license and product production license, new construction and expansion of airports, and the equipment of metrology instruments must comply with the requirements of the relevant regulations of the Civil Aviation Administration of China"; delete the original Article 20 "Newly developed special metrology instruments for the civil aviation industry should comply with the relevant provisions of the "Measures for the Management of New Products of Measuring Instruments" promulgated by the metrology administrative department of the State Council"; delete the original Article 21 "When introducing new aircraft or equipment, it is necessary to introduce matching metrology instruments (including standard instruments) and metrology test technical data that cannot be solved domestically. The metrology department should participate in the introduction of aircraft or equipment and be responsible for the acceptance of the corresponding matching metrology instruments and metrology technical data", and stipulate: "The Civil Aviation Administration shall supervise and inspect the management of civil aviation metrology instruments and the establishment and use of civil aviation special metrology standards". After the revision, the civil aviation metrology supervision work is more in line with the actual work and better serves the development of the industry.
