Civil Aviation issues the first approval certificate for aircraft modifications locally

Yesterday, the General Civil Aviation Authority announced the issuance of the first aircraft modification approval certificate (STC) to the Emirates Airline Engineering Centre, making it the first entity based in the UAE to obtain this certificate, in a step that represents an important progress in the country’s regulatory capabilities in the aviation sector.

With this achievement, the General Authority of Civil Aviation becomes among a very limited number of aviation authorities capable of issuing this type of certificate, which is considered one of the advanced functions in the field of airworthiness, and allows the approval of modifications to aircraft, their systems and components in accordance with international safety standards.

The Authority stated in a statement that this achievement reflects the development of the engineering system in the UAE, and the Authority’s commitment to enhancing national competencies, supporting the local industry, and ensuring the highest levels of safety and compliance in the aviation sector.

The Assistant Director General of the Aviation Safety Affairs Sector at the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Engineer Aqeel Al Zarouni, said that the issuance of the Aircraft Modification Approval Certificate (STC), which is a certificate that allows the approval of technical modifications to aircraft and their systems in accordance with international safety standards, confirms the maturity of the regulatory framework for the aviation sector in the country, and the technical capabilities enjoyed by entities working in this field. He added that this step contributes to enhancing efficiency and consolidating the country’s position as a leading regional center in the fields of aviation safety and accreditation.

For his part, the Head of Engineering and Maintenance “MRO” at Emirates Airlines, Ahmed Safa, said that the Emirates Engineering Center’s obtaining the first Supplemental Modification Approval Certificate (STC) from the General Civil Aviation Authority, after the center was previously accredited as an approved design body, represents an important milestone in its journey, as it reflects the strength of its design capabilities and its efficiency in implementing aircraft modifications.

The issuance of this certificate came after the authority granted, in late 2025, “Emirates Airlines” the design authority “DOA” accreditation with the privileges of issuing aircraft modification certificates “STC”, for the first time to an entity based in the Emirates.