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Servicios y Estudios para la Navegación Aérea y la Seguridad Aeronáutica S.M.E. M.P. S.A.
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Javier García

Javier García, SENASA's Ramp Inspections Project Manager, is a highly recognised professional in the national and international aeronautical field. He has a broad aeronautical career since he started working in CAMO and Part145 departments for cargo and passenger airlines in the late 90s. He joined SENASA in 2006 combining SSP and SMS development support for the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA) and the ramp inspection programme, later becoming the Department Coordinator and Head of the Ramp Inspection Training Organisation (RITO). In addition to his role as an instructor for ramp inspectors, he provides airworthiness training and is certified as an ICAO Trainair Plus instructor.

SENASA has extensive experience in the execution of Ramp Inspections, providing support to AESA with the backing of a team of expert inspectors in the fields of Operations and Airworthiness. SENASA also trains national and international professionals in SAFA/SACA (Safety Assessment Foreign/Community Aircraft) and SANA (Safety Assessment National Aircraft) ramp inspection procedures. As Manager of the Ramp Inspections Project, Javier García coordinates a team of SENASA experts with profiles as diverse and multidisciplinary as aeronautical engineer, pilot, aircraft maintenance technician or flight dispatcher.

What does the Ramp Inspection programme consist of?

Ramp inspections are part of the European Union's Aviation Safety Programme and are mandatory for all Member States, as well as for those states with which EASA - the European Aviation Safety and Security Agency - has signed Working Arrangements. In total, 51 states from five continents are part of this programme.

These inspections are carried out according to EU regulation 965/2012, following a procedure common to all participating states, using a standard checklist.

Inspections are carried out on all types of aircraft and operators, both commercial and private, following a prioritisation criterion defined by EASA and AESA. These inspections are carried out unannounced, during the time aircraft are on the ground between arrival and departure flights. The team is usually composed of two inspectors (an operations expert and an airworthiness expert). Elements of the cockpit (flight documentation, licences, records, technical report...), passenger cabin (emergency equipment, cabin condition, evacuation exits...), external condition (airframe damage, missing screws, losses, landing gear condition...), and cargo area (hold damage, securing of cargo on board...) are supervised.

The beginnings were challenging, as there was no detailed procedure and standardisation was difficult.

If an inspection identifies significant irregularities, these shall be transmitted to the operator and the supervisory authority. Where irregularities have an immediate impact on safety, inspectors may require corrective action before allowing the aeroplane to fly.

In addition, since 2021, EASA has been carrying out breathalyser checks on crews during inspections.

How has the inspection procedure evolved in recent years and what has SENASA's role been in this evolution?

SENASA has been a key agent of the implementation of the Ramp Inspections programme since its inception in 2006 through the mandate received from AESA.

SENASA provides a technical team of experts that is responsible for carrying out the material inspection, planning and administrative management together with AESA inspectors. In the early days of the programme, we also provided support for the creation of the database for the uploading of inspection results, communication with the operators and the aviation authority, as well as the development of reports and implementation of standards.

Over time, some of these tasks have come to be managed from AESA's Ramp Inspection Unit (UNIRA), handling the Inspection System for Aeronautical Processes (SIPA) and the EASA database. This means that SENASA and AESA teams have a very high level of standardisation and coordination when carrying out both field and administrative work.

At the outset of the assignment, the team of expert inspectors was partly composed by retired pilots and maintenance technicians from airlines such as Iberia or Spanair, who brought a wealth of knowledge, as well as aeronautical engineers with extensive experience in the sector. The beginnings were challenging, as there was no detailed procedure and standardisation was difficult. Also, operators were not used to being inspected without prior warning, which sometimes led to tense situations.

In those early years, SENASA team comprised approximately 16 people, including administrative staff and inspectors, who came to carry out more than 2500 inspections per year as a result of the Contingency Plan approved by the Council of Ministers in 2005. Since then, SENASA experts have participated in more than 24000 SAFA/SACA inspections and 9000 SANA inspections. At present, the total number of inspections per year is around 1200, in which AESA and SENASA staff are jointly involved.

There is a growing focus on operational risks, taking this into account both in setting the airlines' targets for inspection and in assessing discrepancies observed during inspections.

The enforcement procedures have been adapted and have evolved, with more detailed guidelines and procedures from both EASA and EASA, resulting in inspections with a high degree of standardisation across all participating countries.

From the operators' point of view, these checks are now considered to be a matter of course; they are part of the procedures inherent in the aviation business and serious non-compliance is becoming less and less frequent.

In addition to the inspections carried out on behalf of AESA, SENASA also offers training for national and international professionals in ramp inspections. What is SENASA's contribution, our added value to this training?

SENASA was a pioneer in 2009 in obtaining approval as a RITO (Ramp Inspection Training Organisation) to train Ramp Inspectors. We are authorised to teach both the Initial Course and the Recurrent Training, which is mandatory every three years to maintain the qualification as an inspector. We also provide courses for air operators interested in learning the procedure first hand, in order to improve their performance in inspections.

At the beginning, this qualification allowed us to train SENASA and AESA inspectors in a very agile way, as we did not have to travel to other organisations outside Spain. Soon after, we began to have a significant international presence, giving courses to both authorities and airlines. The role played by SENASA's Aviation Safety Directorate in those years was key to our growth.

At present, the total number of inspections per year is around 1200, in which AESA and SENASA staff are jointly involved.

This international expansion provided great visibility and reputation, making SENASA a reference as a training entity in the field of Ramp Inspections, having provided training in more than 20 countries. Within this collaborative environment and as a result of the good relations forged with AESA and EASA, SENASA has continued to offer training for foreign authorities and has actively participated in the exchange of inspectors between the participating countries.

The valuable experience of its instructors in this training is the added value that SENASA provides; the key factor in transferring knowledge to real inspection situations.

What challenges are expected in the area of Ramp Inspections and how is SENASA preparing to face these new scenarios?

At the regulatory front, EASA is currently involved in the NextGen project, which aims to update the procedure and focus the means of inspection on current needs. There is a growing focus on operational risks, taking this into account both in setting the airlines' targets for inspection and in assessing discrepancies observed during inspections.

In recent years, the inspection of COE (Certificate of Special Air Operator) operations, sport aviation, ULM, amateur constructions or even hot-air balloons has also become a challenge. These inspections are not within the scope of EASA and mark a difference between SANAs and SAFAs.

Inspections in this field require a great effort when it comes to locating their operations in remote aerodromes and less conventional schedules. In order to respond to these new scenarios, the team has adapted, with the dedication and professionalism that all members of the department have always shown, aware that SENASA is prepared to face the necessary changes required by both AESA and EASA, and with the clear objective that safety comes first.

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SERVICIOS Y ESTUDIOS PARA LA NAVEGACIÓN AÉREA Y LA SEGURIDAD AERONÁUTICA S.M.E. M.P. S.A.
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