FAA Part 145 commonly refers to the section of U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations that governs certificated repair stations. In practice, it defines the regulatory framework for organizations that perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alterations on aircraft, airframes, engines, propellers, appliances, and certain component parts under FAA oversight.
It is primarily about the approval and control of maintenance organizations, not the design approval of products and not the operational rules for airlines or pilots. A Part 145 repair station is an organization with specific ratings, capabilities, procedures, personnel requirements, and recordkeeping obligations tied to the maintenance work it is authorized to perform.
What it includes
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Repair stations that hold FAA certification under Part 145
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Maintenance functions performed within the scope of the station’s ratings and capabilities
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Requirements related to housing, facilities, equipment, personnel, manuals, training, quality-related controls, and records
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Work on complete aircraft or on articles such as engines, components, or accessories, depending on the repair station’s authorization
What it does not mean
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It is not a manufacturing approval framework for producing new aircraft or parts
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It is not the same as FAA Part 21, which commonly refers to certification procedures for products and articles
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It is not the same as FAA Part 43, which addresses maintenance performance rules more broadly
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It is not the same as FAA Part 121 or Part 135, which apply to flight operations and air carriers
How it appears in operations and systems
In aerospace MRO and regulated maintenance environments, FAA Part 145 often shapes how work is planned, executed, reviewed, and documented. It commonly connects to maintenance software, ERP, MES, electronic work instructions, training records, tooling control, inspection steps, release documentation, and traceability records. For example, a repair station may use controlled digital workflows to route a component through inspection, teardown, repair, testing, and return-to-service documentation.
The term is also used when discussing repair station capabilities, vendor oversight, technician qualification records, calibration support, and evidence trails needed to show that maintenance work was performed within an approved organizational framework.
Common confusion
FAA Part 145 is often confused with general aerospace quality standards or with production regulations. A company can operate manufacturing and maintenance functions under different regulatory and quality structures. Part 145 specifically addresses the repair station side of the environment. It may coexist with standards such as AS9100, but the terms are not interchangeable.