Agreement Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation for Promotion of Aviation Safety

The Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation, hereinafter referred to as the Contracting Parties,

Desiring to promote civil aviation safety and environmental quality,

Noting common concerns for the safe operation of civil aircraft,

Recognizing the emerging trend toward multinational design, production, and interchange of civil aeronautical products,

Desiring to enhance cooperation and increase efficiency in matters relating to civil aviation safety,

Considering the possible reduction of the economic burden imposed on the aviation industry and operators by redundant technical inspections, evaluations, and testing,

Recognizing the mutual benefit of improved procedures for the reciprocal acceptance of airworthiness approvals, environmental testing, and development of reciprocal recognition procedures for approval and monitoring of flight simulators, aircraft maintenance facilities, maintenance personnel, airmen, and flight operations,

Have agreed as follows:

Article I

A. To facilitate acceptance by each Contracting Party of the other Contracting Party's (a) airworthiness approvals and environmental testing and approval of civil aeronautical products, and (b) qualification evaluations of flight simulators.

B. To facilitate acceptance by each Contracting Party of the approvals and monitoring of maintenance facilities and alteration or modification facilities, maintenance personnel, airmen, aviation training establishments, and flight operations of the other Contracting Party.

C. To provide for cooperation in sustaining an equivalent level of safety and environmental objectives with respect to aviation safety.

D. Each Contracting Party shall designate the appropriate authorities as its executive agent(s) to implement this Agreement.

For the Government of the United States of America, the executive agent shall be the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the Department of Transportation.

For the Government of the Russian Federation, the executive agent shall be the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) for type design approval, initial airworthiness approvals, environmental approval, and environmental testing of civil aeronautical products; and the Federal Aviation Authority of Russia (FAAR) for approval of maintenance facilities, maintenance personnel, and airmen; approval of flight operations; qualification evaluation of flight simulators; approval of aviation training establishments; and continuing in-service airworthiness issues related to civil aeronautical products. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Agreement, the IAC shall act under the authority and on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Article II

For the purposes of this Agreement, the terms below have the following meaning:

A. "Airworthiness approval" means a finding that the type design or change to a type design of a civil aeronautical product meets standards agreed between the Contracting Parties or that a product conforms to a type design that has been found to meet those standards, and is in a condition for safe operation.

B. "Alterations or modifications" means making a change to the construction, configuration, performance, environmental characteristics, or operating limitations of the affected civil aeronautical product.

C. "Approval of flight operations" means the technical inspections and evaluations conducted by a Contracting Party, using standards agreed between the Contracting Parties, of an entity providing commercial air transportation of passengers or cargo, or the finding that the entity complies with those standards.

D. "Civil aeronautical product" means any civil aircraft, aircraft engine, or propeller or subassembly, appliance, material, part, or component to be installed thereon.

E. "Environmental approval" means a finding that a civil aeronautical product complies with standards agreed between the Contracting Parties concerning noise and/or exhaust emissions. "Environmental testing" means a process by which a civil aeronautical product is evaluated for compliance with those standards, using procedures agreed between the Contracting Parties.

F. "Flight simulator qualification evaluations" means the process by which a flight simulator is assessed by comparison to the aircraft it simulates, in accordance with standards agreed between the Contracting Parties, or the finding that it complies with those standards.

G. "Maintenance" means the performance of inspection, overhaul, repair, preservation, and the replacement of parts, materials, appliances, or components of a product to assure the continued airworthiness of that product, but excludes alterations of modifications.

H. "Monitoring" means the periodic surveillance by a Contracting Party's appropriate executive agent to determine continuing compliance with the appropriate standards.

Article III

A. The Contracting Parties' appropriate executive agents shall conduct technical assessments and work cooperatively to develop an understanding of each other's standards and systems in the following areas:

1. Airworthiness approvals of civil aeronautical products;
2. Environmental approval and environmental testing;
3. Approval of maintenance facilities, alteration or modification facilities, maintenance personnel, and airmen;
4. Approval of flight operations;
5. Qualification evaluation of flight simulators; and
6. Approval of aviation training establishments.

B. When the appropriate executive agents of the Contracting Parties agree that the standards, rules, practices, procedures, and systems of both Contracting Parties in one of the technical specialties listed above are sufficiently equivalent or compatible to permit acceptance of findings of compliance made by one Contracting Party for the other Contracting Party to the agreedupon standards, the appropriate executive agents shall execute written Implementation Procedures describing the methods by which such reciprocal acceptance shall be made with respect to that technical specialty.

C. The Implementation Procedures shall include at a minimum:

1. Definitions;
2. A description of the particular area of civil aviation to be addressed;
3. Provisions for reciprocal acceptance of appropriate executive agent actions such as test witnessing, inspections, qualifications, approvals, and certifications;
4. Accountability of executive agents;
5. Provisions for mutual cooperation and technical assistance;
6. Provisions for periodic evaluations; and
7. Provisions for amendments to or termination of the Implementation Procedures.

Article IV

Any disagreement regarding the interpretation or application of this Agreement or its Implementation Procedures shall be resolved by consultation between the Contracting Parties or their appropriate executive agents, respectively.

Article V

This Agreement shall enter into force upon signature and shall remain in force until terminated by sixty (60) days' written notice from one Contracting Party to the other Contracting Party. Such termination shall also act to terminate all existing Implementation Procedures executed in accordance with this Agreement. This Agreement may be amended by the written agreement of the Contracting Parties. Individual Implementation Procedures may be terminated or amended by the appropriate executive agents.

In Witness Whereof, the undersigned, being duly authorized by their respective Governments, have signed this Agreement.

Done at Moscow, this second day of September, 1998, in duplicate, in the English and Russian languages, each text being equally authentic.

For the Government of the United States of America:
William J. Clinton

For the Government of the Russian Federation:
Boris Yeltsin