PfAW becomes PfCO

With effect from 25th August 2016, the CAA Permission for Aerial Work (PfAW) has been replaced by the Permission for Commercial Operations (PfCO).

This change appears in the newly published Air Navigation Order 2016. CAA Information Notice IN-2016/073 (link below) explains the change. Existing PfAWs will remain valid but will change on renewal to PfCOs.

Any new Permissions issued from now on will be for Commercial Operations.

The following is an extract from the CAA Information Notice IN-2016/073 relating to the definition of Commercial Operations:

‘Commercial operation’ is given the following meaning:

“…any operation of an aircraft other than for public transport— (a) which is available to the public; or (b) which, when not made available to the public, is performed under a contract between an operator and a customer, where the latter has no control over the operator, in return for remuneration or other valuable consideration.”

The intent of this meaning is exactly the same as the previous intent of ‘aerial work’. The key elements in understanding this term are ‘…any operation of an aircraft…in return for remuneration or other valuable consideration’.

The term ‘available to the public’ should be interpreted as being a service or commodity that any member of the public can make use of, or actively choose to use, (e.g. because it has been advertised or offered to someone).