In January, Mr Wang Jian, Director of the Airworthiness Maintenance Department of the Shandong Regulatory Authority under the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and Mr Ai Wendong, Principal Maintenance Inspector of the Shandong Regulatory Authority, visited STAECO for a research meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to establish a Quality Management System (QMS) within STAECO for COMAC ARJ21-700 aircraft.

STAECO was the first independent aircraft maintenance organisation to obtain CAAC maintenance approval for the ARJ21-700, and completed the world's first 1C and 4C checks on this new twin-engined regional aircraft type. To date, STAECO has completed maintenance checks on 12 ARJ21-700 aircraft.

The research meeting began with a discussion about the experiences and issues encountered by STAECO’s technicians during maintenance of the ARJ21-700. STAECO’s Quality and Safety Department representatives reported findings from five perspectives, including production control, engineering support, aircraft tooling support, personnel qualification management and aircraft maintenance. Mr Wang Jian praised STAECO’s efforts in supporting domestic civil aircraft maintenance, and made several recommendations regarding the planned QMS for the ARJ21-700. Moving forward, STAECO will establish a dedicated team to prepare the final QMS document to be submitted to the Shandong Regulatory Authority.

The establishment of this new QMS will be a useful reference point for the maintenance of other domestic aircraft types, such as the Xian MA-60 and COMAC C919, helping to ensure aviation safety and quality in China.