The Aviation Safety Affairs Sector reports directly to the Director General (DG). The Executive Director has been appointed to manage the entire aviation safety affairs sector which consists of the following departments Air Navigation and Aerodrome (ANA), Airworthiness (AW), Flight Operation (FOP), Licensing (LIC) and Policy, Regulation and Planning (PRP). The Aviation Safety Sector was created to cluster all aviation safety related activities into one function. It is responsible for the regulation and oversight of the safety of the aviation industry in the United Arab Emirates.

Sector Mission Statement

Regulate (Legislation framework, Policy, Regulations and Standards), and provide Safety oversight through (Licensing, inspection, certification, Authorization and Audits) the Aviation industry in the UAE, in order to serve the general public and the civil aviation industry in a responsive and cost-effective manner.

History

In 1996 the existing Aviation safety department was responsible for the regulation and oversight of only the following sections (Flight Operation and Airworthiness and Pilot licensing). ICAO had made a decision to extend the universal safety oversight audit programme to encompass all ANNEX’S of the ICAO convention. The GCAA then undertook a re-structuring programme to satisfy both the requirement of ICAO and the needs of the aviation industry within the UAE. The outcome of the re-structuring aligned aviation safety activities and related ANNEX’s (1-8, 10-16) under one sector called the Aviation Safety Affairs Sector (ASAS) in 2011.