CAA INSPECTION PREPARATION · Aero Support Group FZCO · Updated 23 October 2026
What is a CAA inspection?
A CAA inspection is an oversight activity by a State’s civil aviation authority to verify that a certificate or approval holder complies with national regulations and operates safely. ICAO’s eight critical elements of a safety oversight system (Doc 9734) require States to carry out this surveillance, and USOAP audits check that they do.
Inspections may be planned surveillance, product or ramp inspections, initial certification phases or event-driven investigations.
The regulatory basis
- National regulations implementing ICAO Annexes, often modelled on EASA or FAA rules (for example GCAA CARs, GACAR, UK Regulation (EU) as retained).
- ICAO Annex 6 for operators, Annex 8 for airworthiness, Annex 14 for aerodromes, Annex 1 for licensing and Annex 19 for safety management.
- State Safety Programme: authorities increasingly plan surveillance on a risk basis using service providers’ safety performance.
What inspectors typically sample
- Approved manuals against actual practice.
- Nominated persons’ qualifications and acceptance by the authority.
- SMS records: hazard log, risk assessments, SPIs, safety review minutes.
- Compliance monitoring or quality audit programme, findings and closure.
- Training records and authorisations.
- Changes since the last inspection and whether they were approved.
After the inspection
- Findings are usually graded by severity, with deadlines for corrective action.
- Authorities expect a root cause analysis and a corrective action plan with preventive measures, not only a fix of the instance.
- Closure requires evidence of implementation, and often of effectiveness.
How ASG prepares you
- Gap assessment against the national regulation and the ICAO Standards behind it.
- Manual and procedure review to align documentation with practice.
- Mock inspection using the authority’s checklists where available.
- Briefings for the accountable manager and nominated persons.
- Corrective action plans and closure evidence for findings.
- Liaison support with the authority during certification projects.
Conclusion
National authorities inspect against different regulations, but they look for the same thing: evidence that the organisation does what it says and controls its risks. ASG helps organisations prepare for that test and close findings with credible root causes and actions.
Frequently asked questions
An oversight activity by a national civil aviation authority to verify that a certificate or approval holder complies with national regulations implementing ICAO Standards.
Most authorities grade findings by severity, with the most serious requiring immediate action and others given a set period for corrective action.
States implement ICAO Standards through national regulations, and ICAO’s USOAP audits check how effectively they oversee the industry.
ASG works with organisations overseen by national authorities in many regions. Tell us your authority and we will confirm our experience with it.
Key takeaways
- CAA inspections verify compliance with national rules implementing ICAO Standards
- Inspectors sample manuals, records, SMS and compliance monitoring
- Findings need root cause and preventive action
- Closure needs evidence of implementation
- Surveillance is increasingly risk-based
Expecting a CAA inspection?
Tell us the authority, your approval and the inspection date. ASG will assess readiness and run a mock inspection.