The State Agency of Civil Aviation (GACA) under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic has announced the start of work on updating national regulations regarding helicopter operations. Currently, the draft of the new order is already available for public discussion. As noted by the agency, the main objective of this document is to align aviation legislation with international standards and the recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The revision of the existing regulations was prompted by the fact that the current version of the rules, adopted in 2019, no longer meets modern flight safety requirements and has lost its relevance. GACA pointed out discrepancies identified during international audits, which negatively affected the assessment of aviation safety in the country.
The proposed draft provides for the implementation of unified and modern requirements for all helicopter operators, paying special attention to the specifics of flights in the challenging geographical conditions of Kyrgyzstan. In particular, additional standards will be introduced for high-altitude areas, which will require special precautions.
Furthermore, the update will also affect the training of aviation personnel. This includes the updating of training and retraining standards for pilots, clarification of flight hours and licensing requirements, as well as strengthening standards for conducting flights in extreme conditions. The document will also address existing shortcomings in technical maintenance and the organization of flight processes.
GACA emphasized that the implementation of the new rules will create transparent conditions for all market participants and improve safety levels in the airspace. Moreover, the implementation of this initiative will not require additional expenditures from the state budget and will not have a negative impact on the economy of the civil aviation sector.
