Exporting to Indonesia: prepare the right records

The working arrangement between EASA (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency) and DGCA Indonesia sets out export documents. For a new aircraft exported to Indonesia, it provides for an Export Certificate of Airworthiness based on EASA Form 52, the aircraft statement of conformity; for new engines, propellers, parts and appliances, it provides for EASA Form 1, an authorised release certificate, issued by an approved production organisation. These provisions do not by themselves cover used or maintained items: confirm their recognition by Indonesia before shipment.

What the October announcement explains

The EASA announcement of 5 October 2026 presents an arrangement with DGCA Indonesia, the country's civil aviation authority. The announcement recalls a September ceremony in Kuala Lumpur at the 61st conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation. The arrangement aims to facilitate access to the Indonesian market by reducing duplicate checks.

Read the signed text separately. Section 11 makes it operational from the last signature; the dates shown are 3 and 10 August 2026. It is therefore operational from 10 August 2026. The September ceremony and October announcement are therefore not the commencement date stated in the arrangement. Section 1.4 also says that it is not intended to create legal rights or obligations. It therefore cannot be read as a right to admission.

Design approval and export documents answer different questions

Acceptance means direct recognition without further technical requirements or evaluation. Validation under section 3.1(a), by contrast, requires a DGCA certificate based on the European certificate, at the applicant's expense. It covers type certificates and certain major changes. The distinction depends, among other things, on changes to the certification basis or Airworthiness Limitations Section. Other approvals meeting the specified conditions are accepted directly. Read the applicable case rather than simply looking for “EASA” on a document.

For a new aircraft, section 6.1 provides for an Export Certificate of Airworthiness based on EASA Form 52, stating compliance with the type certificate accepted by DGCA. Form 52 is the aircraft statement of conformity, issued here by a production approval holder. Do not shorten the export certificate requirement to “send a Form 52”. For new engines, propellers, parts and appliances, section 6.3 provides for an EASA Form 1 issued by an approved production organisation.

Form 1 is an authorised release certificate. It can also be used after maintenance: its name alone does not establish that an item is new. “New” matters in these provisions. They do not by themselves establish acceptance of a maintained part or the import conditions for a used aircraft. For those cases, ask the recipient and relevant authority which documentation route applies before preparing shipment.

A suggested transfer sheet

For each delivery, reconcile these items:

• exact item, identity and new or used status;
• design approval and chosen route, acceptance or validation;
• expected export document, issuer and document actually received;
• English-language manuals under section 6.2: the aircraft Flight Manual; for engines or propellers, the installation drawing and manual, operating instructions, and maintenance and overhaul manual;
• outstanding local confirmation, contact and response date.

This is not an exhaustive regulatory checklist. Its purpose is to reveal missing items before the documents and physical item travel separately.

Fictional example: one form, two situations

A workshop prepares two files, each with an EASA Form 1: one for a new part and another for a part released after maintenance. For the first, it checks the match between the part, issuer and provision covering new items. For the second, it does not copy the first conclusion: section 6.3 does not settle that case. It keeps the question open and requests the applicable conditions.

The recipient can then distinguish “document covered by the arrangement” from “acceptance still to be confirmed”. This method helps avoid promising an administrative outcome that cannot be delivered. It determines neither final registration nor customs formalities and does not automatically extend to another country.