A CAMO is an EASA-approved organisation responsible for managing an aircraft's continuing airworthiness: maintenance planning, AD compliance, records and airworthiness reviews. It manages what must be done and when — while the physical work is performed by a Part-145 or equivalent maintenance organisation.
A CAMO (Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation) is an EASA-approved organisation responsible for managing an aircraft's continuing airworthiness — the ongoing process of ensuring it remains in an airworthy condition throughout its life. The CAMO develops and maintains the aircraft maintenance programme, plans and orders maintenance at the right times, manages airworthiness directive compliance, controls maintenance records, and conducts or arranges airworthiness reviews for the ARC.
The CAMO manages; it does not wrench. Physical maintenance is performed by a Part-145 (or appropriate) maintenance organisation working to the CAMO's instructions. Training organisations encounter CAMOs in two ways: contracting an external CAMO to manage their fleet, or — for larger ATOs — holding their own CAMO approval, which brings the full apparatus of a CAME, nominated personnel and authority oversight in-house.
Why it matters for flight schools
For fleet operators, CAMO quality determines whether maintenance is planned or reactive. A well-run CAMO forecasts due items months out so downtime lands in low season; a weak one discovers due inspections when the tech log arithmetic catches up, grounding aircraft mid-course. The information flow between school and CAMO — actual hours flown, defects, utilization forecasts — is the critical interface, and it is precisely where spreadsheet-and-email coordination breaks down.
How FlightLogger handles it
FL Maintenance connects the school's live flight data directly to continuing airworthiness management — actual hours and cycles feed the due list in real time, so CAMO planning runs on today's data rather than last month's spreadsheet export.
Frequently asked questions
Does every aircraft need a CAMO?
No. Complex aircraft and commercially operated aircraft generally require CAMO management, while light aircraft under Part-ML can be managed by the owner or under lighter arrangements. Most professional training fleets use a CAMO — their own or contracted.
What is the difference between a CAMO and a Part-145 organisation?
The CAMO decides what maintenance is due and when, keeps the records and manages airworthiness; the Part-145 organisation physically performs the maintenance and issues the release to service. One manages, the other executes.