The UK Civil Aviation Authority published the third edition of CAP 2153 in March 2026, updating the guidance for how Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisations (CAMOs) structure and maintain their CAME (Continuing Airworthiness Management Exposition).
If you own or operate UK-registered aircraft, these changes affect how your maintenance programmes are managed, how aircraft can be imported from the EU, and how the CAA assesses your CAMO’s complexity.
Here are the three updates that matter.
1. Task Optimisation is now formally defined
This is the headline change. For the first time, the CAA has published structured guidance on how CAMOs can adjust scheduled maintenance task intervals, either escalating (extending) or de-escalating (shortening) them based on operational data.
Previously, M.A.302(e) permitted organisations to deviate from recommended intervals, but there was limited published guidance on how this should work in practice. The new Section 1.2.9.4 changes that.
The key points for operators:
- Mandatory tasks (Airworthiness Limitations, ADs) are not eligible for optimisation. These are fixed unless changed through a formal exemption.
- Safety-related tasks can be optimised, but only with support from the Type Certificate holder or another approved design organisation.
- Non-safety tasks (operational or economic) can be optimised where justified by a formal reliability programme or substantiated in-service data.
- Any proposed optimisation must be backed by documented analysis demonstrating a 95% confidence level, with continuous monitoring to ensure the adjusted interval remains appropriate.
What this means in practice: Operators with mature data collection and reliability programmes now have a clear, CAA-endorsed pathway to optimise maintenance intervals on non-safety tasks. Done well, this can reduce unnecessary maintenance activity and associated costs without compromising safety.
But the requirements are rigorous. Data quality, data integrity, and proper statistical analysis are non-negotiable. Here’s a detailed breakdown of exactly what your CAME needs to document. This is not about cutting corners. It is about using evidence to make better decisions.
For operators using platforms like Centrik and Tech Log to manage their continuing airworthiness records, the data foundation for supporting Task Optimisation is already being built through day-to-day operations: defect tracking, component removal data, task completion records, and reliability monitoring.
2. Streamlined process for importing used aircraft from the EU
Section 4.4.5 introduces a new desktop-based route for importing used Part 21 aircraft from EU Member States onto the UK register.
Under the previous process, all used aircraft imports required a full CAA physical survey before a Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) could be issued. The new process allows used aircraft that previously held a valid CofA and Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC) from an EU Member State to be assessed via a desktop review, potentially bypassing the physical survey altogether.
The CAMO completes a Declaration/Recommendation form, taking responsibility for the accuracy of all submitted information. Aircraft processed through this route are scheduled for a follow-up ACAM survey within 12 months.
What this means in practice: If you are acquiring used aircraft from EU operators, this could meaningfully reduce both the timeline and cost of getting them onto the UK register, provided your CAMO has the processes and diligence to support the desktop assessment.
3. Updated CAMO Complexity Matrix
The Complexity Matrix in Part 5 of the CAME, which the CAA uses to calibrate its oversight of each organisation, now includes a new question: does the managed fleet use penalty factors?
This is a smaller but notable update. It signals that the CAA wants a more complete picture of how maintenance intervals are being managed across fleets, particularly where operational factors are being used to adjust task frequencies.
Staying ahead of the regulation
Regulatory change is constant in aerospace. The organisations that manage it well are the ones that build compliance into their daily operations rather than treating it as a periodic exercise.
TrustFlight’s platform, including Centrik for safety and quality management and Tech Log for maintenance and airworthiness records, gives operators the data infrastructure to respond to changes like these with confidence. And through Baines Simmons, TrustFlight’s training and consulting capability, operators can access specialist CAMO management, airworthiness consulting, and regulatory advisory services to ensure their CAME reflects the latest requirements.
If you have questions about how these changes affect your operation, get in touch.
CAP 2153 Third Edition (March 2026) is published by the UK Civil Aviation Authority and is available at www.caa.co.uk/CAP2153.
