The Civil Aviation Agency is actively preparing for the upcoming audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which will be conducted under the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP).

USOAP represents a mandatory continuous monitoring system, established in 1999, aimed at assessing the compliance of member states with international civil aviation safety standards. Through the evaluation of 8 critical elements in 8 areas, the program ensures the establishment and maintenance of effective and sustainable safety oversight systems, in accordance with ICAO requirements.

In this context, training was held with CAA representatives who will participate in the audit and review process. The training was focused on improving coordination, strengthening preparedness, and familiarizing participants with key aspects of the USOAP audit.

Within the training, the USOAP coordinator held two presentations and a practical demonstration of the USOAP CMA online framework.

The first presentation focused on the inspection process, covering the history of inspections, CAA’s responses to previous audits, the current level of compliance, as well as the significance of the achieved results. The importance of these results for the state and for the further development and credibility of civil aviation in the Republic of North Macedonia was highlighted.

The second presentation was about the self-assessment process, explaining how to respond to questions, the available support tools, and the functionalities of the USOAP system. It was emphasized that this is an advanced system that requires effective coordination and collaboration among all involved to complete the questionnaires more efficiently and with higher quality.

Additionally, a practical demo of the USOAP system was presented, showing all modules and their practical application in preparation for the upcoming audit.

During the advisory sessions, the individual responsibilities of each department were emphasized, as well as the shared responsibilities of area managers and the interconnection of horizontal issues within the USOAP CMA online framework.