The new EASA Part-NCC (Non-Commercial Complex) regulations finally came into force on 25 August. The new rules place obligations on all non-commercial operators of “complex motor-powered” aircraft – fixed wing aircraft with an MTOW in excess of 5,700kg or rotorcraft weighing above 3,175kg. Part-NCC is designed to oblige non-commercial operators – those without an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) – to demonstrate that they have systems in place to implement and monitor regulatory safety and operational standards.

The regulations will apply where aircraft are either registered in an EASA state – that is all 28 EU member states, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein – or where the operator is established or resides in an EASA state, even if the aircraft is registered elsewhere. It will also affect “third country” operators from the rest of the world who operate aircraft into Europe.