SystemRegulatory Compliance & Sustainability

Aviation Compliance Monitoring

Aviation compliance monitoring software that finds problems between internal audits, with every finding cited and signed

Problems found between audits, months before the regulator, with every finding cited.

See one case, screen by screen ↓
demo3,180recordssampled in 30 days from 11 evidence streams, every flag re-checked against the rule text
demo5daysfrom the flights past an MEL repair interval to an early warning — the area's audit was planned for Feb 8
demo1,231of 1,284FAA, EASA and IOSA requirements covered by an audit this cycle, with a proposal for the other 53
target0Level 1Level 1 findings at FAA, EASA and IOSA audits
In short

What is Aviation Compliance Monitoring?

Aviation compliance monitoring software — also called aviation audit management software or airline quality assurance audit software — runs an airline's internal audit program against the rules: the audit plan, findings, corrective action plans and proof they worked. The FAA calls this the internal evaluation program (AC 120-59B); EASA calls it compliance monitoring, run by the compliance monitoring manager. Aviation Compliance Monitoring adds seven agents that sample operational records between audits, cite the rule, draft findings and plans, and propose moving audits by risk, while auditors and the compliance monitoring manager decide.

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Updated

The problem

Why a problem runs for months between two internal audits

Every Part 121 airline has to audit its own operation: the continuing analysis and surveillance system of 14 CFR 121.373, and the audits and evaluations of Part 5 SMS safety assurance (14 CFR 5.71). An airline that holds an EASA Part-145 approval runs compliance monitoring as well, and IOSA expects a quality assurance program. Today the compliance monitoring manager plans 40 to 100 audits a year in a spreadsheet, and each area is audited about once a year.

On audit day an auditor reads about 25 records out of thousands, so a one-in-400 fault is found by luck. Between two audits of an area nobody looks: a fault that starts the week after an audit runs for months. Findings are written fast with the root cause as a box filled at the end, corrective action plans close when their tasks are ticked, and whether a plan worked is seen only at the next audit — or at the FAA's, where a civil penalty reaches $75,000 per violation and each flight can count.

typical$75,000per violationFAA civil penalty cap for a carrier; each flight operated out of compliance can count
estimated~25recordsread by an auditor on audit day, out of thousands in the area
typical2×non-conformitiesfound by risk-based IOSA audits compared with conventional ones in 2025
Where an internal audit's working days goestimated
By hand12.5 days
With the solution3.5 days
  • Scoping the audit and building the checklist from the rules2 → 0.5 d
  • Pulling and reading records on audit day3 → 1 d
  • Checking each record against the regulation and the manual1.5 → 0.3 d
  • Writing findings with their references1 → 0.3 d
  • Root cause back and forth with the department3 → 1 d
  • Proving the corrective action worked2 → 0.5 d

Estimated split for one internal audit of one area, from preparation to a proven corrective action, by hand and with the solution.

How it works

How a problem moves from records to a closed finding

Seven agents sample evidence every night, draft findings and plans, and move audits by risk; auditors and the manager decide.

What comes in
Operational records11 streams · MEL, training, dispatch, NOTOC, checklists
Agents at work
Evidence Sampling Agentsamples every night
Rule Checkercites the rule, checks the first agent
Then
Finding Drafterfinding with references
Root Cause Agentasks the department why
Program Plannermoves audits by risk
Then
Corrective Action Agentplan, reminders, escalation
Effectiveness Check Agentre-samples before closing
A person decides
Auditors and the Compliance Monitoring Managerconfirm findings, approve every change and plan
What comes out
Early warnings with evidence
A program that follows risk
Plans proved to work
One case, step by step

One MEL overrun, from a nightly sample to a signed review

Corvane Airways is in month 7 of its FY2026–27 internal evaluation program: 48 audits in six areas, 1,284 requirements from the FAA, PHMSA, TSA, EASA and IOSA. Its maintenance-control audit is planned for February 8. On October 14 the agents find something that cannot wait that long. Here is what happens, screen by screen, in the working solution.

  1. 01Thursday morning

    What needs her, before she opens a spreadsheet

    Dana Whitcombe · Compliance Monitoring Manager

    Dana's Today screen opens with what the agents found: 3,180 records sampled in the last 30 days from 11 evidence streams, 400 MEL deferrals read early on October 14, one that does not conform. Nine early warnings wait for an auditor, four corrective actions are overdue, and 96% of requirements are covered this cycle. Six decisions wait for her, each with the agent that prepared it.

    “Waiting for you — 6 decisions · agents never act unseen.”

  2. 02Between audits

    Early warnings, not findings

    Evidence Sampling Agent

    In the last 30 days the Evidence Sampling Agent raised 14 early warnings: 9 waiting for an auditor, 3 confirmed, 2 dismissed. Each names its stream, station and rule — four ORD de-icing records with no holdover start time against 14 CFR 121.629(c), two LAX NOTOCs without the UN number against 49 CFR 175.33(a), six former Halvard Air captains without the differences training sign-off. The Rule Checker re-checked every one before it reached a person.

    “Nothing becomes a finding until an auditor confirms it.”

  3. 03Oct 14, 02:10

    An MEL deferral audit of 400 records, overnight

    Evidence Sampling Agent

    Sampling plan MEL-03 drew 400 of the 2,914 MEL deferrals closed since September 1: all 212 with a repair interval extension and 188 at random. 391 conform, 6 extensions were approved within 60 minutes of expiry, 2 lack the placard photo, and 1 does not conform. N809CV, an A321neo, deferred pack 2 under MEL 21-51-02, Category C, on September 28. The interval expired October 8 at 23:59; the extension was approved at 01:52 on October 9, 1 hour 53 minutes late, and the aircraft flew 4 revenue legs with 718 passengers before the valve was replaced.

    The sample size, the population and how the sample was drawn are on the screen, so the auditor can trust it.

  4. 0402:58

    A second agent confirms the rule, with the passages

    Rule Checker

    The Rule Checker works independently of the Sampling Agent. Its verdict: does not conform, confidence 0.96. It quotes the three passages it relied on — 14 CFR 121.628(a)(5), Corvane's MEL preamble §4 (Category C: ten consecutive calendar days, excluding the day of discovery) and GMM 5.4.6, which requires Maintenance Control to approve an extension before the interval expires. Each passage opens at its source.

    No verdict without a cited passage; below 0.80 confidence it says “unsure” and sends the warning to an auditor.

  5. 0507:58 – 08:05

    The root cause is a conversation, not a box

    Root Cause Agent and Grace Lindqvist · QA Manager

    The Root Cause Agent asks Technical Operations three questions in the thread. Grace Lindqvist answers at 08:05: since September 1 the overnight desk has 2 controllers, not 3, after the Halvard Air desk merged, and the expiring-interval list is printed at 18:00, so the 22:40 request was not on it. The agent proposes three contributing factors and links a second warning, SIG-0401: no safety risk assessment on file for that desk merger under 14 CFR 5.51.

    “system causes, never a person” — the agent never names an individual as the cause.

  6. 0608:12

    A corrective action plan from the factors

    Corrective Action Agent

    CAP-26-047, “Repair interval extensions approved before expiry, every time”, has four actions, each tied to a factor: a live expiring-interval board on the Maintenance Control desk, a system block on approvals after expiry, a safety risk assessment of the desk merger, and a GMM 5.4.6 briefing for every controller. The owner is Ray Delgado, Director Maintenance Control. Plan due November 13, 2026; closure due January 13, 2027.

    Effectiveness check: “Re-sample every extension, Jan 14 – Mar 14, 2027; effective if 0 approved after expiry.”

  7. 0708:20

    She confirms the finding and signs it

    Dana Whitcombe · Compliance Monitoring Manager

    The Finding Drafter proposed F-26-062 at Level 2 against 14 CFR 121.628(a)(5) and GMM 5.4.6, with five pieces of evidence. Dana confirms it with reason C1, Non-compliance confirmed, and signs. With the box ticked, a hazard is also opened in the safety risk register, so quality and the SMS see the same thing. The plan clock starts.

    “I, Dana Whitcombe, sign this decision. It is recorded with the time, the reason and the sources.”

  8. 08The audit program

    Move the maintenance-control audit to November?

    Program Planner

    The year's program is one circle: twelve months around the edge, six areas as lanes, every audit a node, the early warnings as dots. At the center the Program Planner proposes moving MX-04, Maintenance control and MEL, from February 8, 2027 to November 16, 2026, with four cited reasons: the N809CV overrun, six more late extensions (five on former Halvard Air aircraft), the overnight desk going from 3 controllers to 2, and the manual allowing an audit to move when risk rises.

    “Theo Marchetti is free Nov 16–19. Coverage stays 1,231 of 1,284.”

  9. 09One decision

    The plan follows risk, with her signature

    Dana Whitcombe · Compliance Monitoring Manager

    Dana approves the move with reason R2, Risk increased, and signs. The audit lands on November 16 with Theo Marchetti as lead; Grace Lindqvist and Ray Delgado are notified, all 62 of its requirements stay covered, and the 400 sampled deferrals are attached to it. She can also ask why not December — Theo is booked on the EASA Part-145 station audit November 30 to December 4.

    The Program Planner proposes and never moves, adds or drops an audit itself. Proposing to move an audit later is off: only a person can delay an audit.

  10. 10Month end

    One page for the Accountable Executive

    Malcolm Ashby · Accountable Executive

    The Program Planner drafts the October compliance review and Dana checks it. Six lines answer Malcolm Ashby's questions: are we compliant, what the agents found, why it happened, what we changed, the program, and what needs him — support a third overnight controller in Maintenance Control until the risk assessment is done, about 4 FTE-months. He signs the review or returns it with a comment.

    “N809CV flew 4 revenue legs past its MEL repair interval on Oct 9 — found 5 days later, not at the February audit.”

Who it’s for

Built for everyone who answers for the certificate.

The same internal evaluation program, seen by four of the people who carry it — what their month looked like, and what it looks like now.

DW
Dana WhitcombeCompliance Monitoring Manager (IEP Director) · Corvane Airways, DEN
Compliance Monitoring Manager
Before
“I find out about a problem at the audit — months after it started.” Plans 48 audits a year and briefs the Accountable Executive every month.
Now
Starts the day with the agents' overnight findings and six decisions; approves every program change and plan with a reason, and sees coverage of all 1,284 requirements.
TM
Theo MarchettiLead Internal Evaluation Auditor, Technical Operations
Lead Internal Evaluation Auditor
Before
“I check 25 records out of 3,000 and hope I picked the bad one.” Runs 14 audits a year and samples records on the day.
Now
Confirms or dismisses early warnings drawn from thousands of sampled records, each with the rule passage and the Rule Checker's confidence, and walks into audit day with the evidence already sampled.
GL
Grace LindqvistQuality Assurance Manager, Technical Operations
Quality Assurance Manager
Before
“Tell me why it happened before you tell me it happened.” Answers findings for Maintenance and chases owners for plans.
Now
Answers three specific questions in the thread; the contributing factors and the plan are built from her answer, and no individual is blamed.
MA
Malcolm AshbyChief Operating Officer and Accountable Executive
Accountable Executive
Before
“One page: are we safe, are we compliant, what needs me?” Answers to the FAA for the certificate.
Now
Reads one cited page each month, asks the agents a question if he needs to, and signs the review or returns it with a comment.
Built on the engine

7 agents. Each with one job, and hard limits.

Seven agents sample evidence every night, draft findings and plans, and move audits by risk; auditors and the manager decide.

Program Planner

Keeps the risk-based audit program: scores each area's risk every night from early warnings, findings, operational change and history, proposes moving, adding or deepening audits when risk rises, proves coverage before and after, and drafts the monthly review.

  • Proposes only — the Compliance Monitoring Manager approves
  • Never delays an audit
  • Shows coverage before and after every change
Evidence Sampling Agent

Draws risk-weighted samples from 11 operational record streams — MEL deferrals and extensions, crew training records, dispatch releases, load sheets and NOTOCs, de-icing and ramp checklists, tool calibration, cabin equipment checks — and flags records that do not conform.

  • Read-only access to every system; never contacts frontline staff
  • Always states the sample size and the population
  • Security-sensitive records summarized, never quoted
Rule Checker

Checks each flag on its own against the regulation text and the airline's manuals, quotes the passage and gives a verdict — conforms, does not conform or unsure — with a confidence.

  • No verdict without a cited passage
  • Below 0.80 confidence it says unsure and sends the warning to an auditor
  • Disagreement with the Sampling Agent is shown, never hidden
Finding Drafter

Drafts the finding — statement, proposed level, rule and manual references, evidence — and compares it with the last 24 months of findings to say whether it repeats.

  • Never issues a finding — an auditor confirms
  • The level is a proposal
Root Cause Agent

Asks the owning department up to three specific questions in the thread, links related early warnings and proposes system-level contributing factors with citations.

  • Questions go only to the named department owner
  • Never names an individual as a cause
Corrective Action Agent

Drafts one corrective action per accepted factor with an owner and a date inside the level's clock, reminds owners at 14, 7 and 1 days and escalates overdue plans.

  • Cannot approve, extend or close a plan
Effectiveness Check Agent

When every action of a plan is done, re-samples the finding's evidence stream over the plan's window and proposes close or reopen with the numbers.

  • Never closes or reopens — the manager decides
  • Shows the sample and the result
Auditors, the Compliance Monitoring Manager and the Accountable Executive

Confirm findings, approve changes and plans, sign the review. The agents propose; a named person decides.

Ask in plain words

Ask the compliance agents, in plain words

Ask about any audit, early warning, finding, rule or aircraft — or tell the agents what to do. Every answer points to its source, and any change waits for your approval.

Why move MX-04 earlier?

Four reasons to move MX-04 Maintenance control and MEL from Feb 8 to Nov 16: N809CV flew a Category C item 11 days against 10; 6 more extensions were approved within 60 minutes of expiry, 5 on former Halvard Air aircraft; the overnight desk went from 3 controllers to 2 on Sep 1; and our manual allows an audit to move when risk rises. Coverage stays 1,231 of 1,284.

Why Level 2, not Level 1?

Level 2 for F-26-062: a non-compliance with 14 CFR 121.628(a)(5) that could lower safety, but contained — the item was a redundant pack and the aircraft was repaired the same night. Level 1 would fit if the item had been a no-go or the practice were systemic; the 6 late approvals are why the move of MX-04 was proposed.

Are we ready for IOSA?

IOSA renewal on-site Apr 5–9, 2027: 421 of 483 standards evidenced (87%). EASA Part-145 visit Jan 19–21, 2027: 108 of 118 (92%). The largest gap is the 14 Part-145 management-system items with no audit; the coverage proposal puts them in MX-07 on Dec 1.

Re-sample the Halvard tails weekly

Planned: from tonight, once a week, every repair interval extension on the 54 former Halvard Air aircraft is sampled — all of them, not a random share — and any approval within 2 hours of expiry is flagged. It adds about 30 records a week. It needs your approval because it changes sampling plan MEL-03.

Every screen

The working solution, as it ships.

13 screens from the working solution, on its sample data. Pick one to see it large.

TodayThe compliance monitoring manager's Today screen: what the agents sampled overnight, early warnings waiting for an auditor, overdue corrective actions, requirement coverage and the decisions waiting.
The audit program circleThe year's internal evaluation program on one circle — six audit areas, every audit by date, early warnings as dots — with the Program Planner's proposal to move an audit by risk.
Approve a program changeMoving an audit earlier needs the manager's reason code and signature, with every requirement still covered.
Early warningsNon-conformances the agents found between audits, by stream, station and rule, each with the Rule Checker's confidence, for an auditor to confirm or dismiss.
Evidence and how it was sampledThe MEL deferral sample — population, sample and results — and the N809CV day strip: the Category C interval, the late extension and the four revenue legs.
Rule check with cited passagesThe Rule Checker's independent verdict on the MEL overrun, with 14 CFR 121.628(a)(5), the MEL preamble and the GMM paragraph it relied on.
Confirm and sign a findingConfirming the drafted Level 2 finding with a reason code and an electronic signature, with the option to open a hazard in the safety risk register at the same time.
Root cause in the threadRoot-cause questions to the department, the QA manager's answer, and the system-level contributing factors the corrective action plan must address.
Corrective action planA drafted corrective action plan: four actions with owners and dates, the plan and closure clocks of a Level 2 finding, and the effectiveness check that proves it.
Effectiveness checksCorrective actions closed only when a re-sample of the same evidence stream shows the problem is gone — and a plan proposed for reopening when it is not.
Requirements coverageCoverage of 1,284 requirements by framework — 14 CFR Parts 121, 5 and 120, 49 CFR hazmat, TSA, EASA Part-145 and Part-TCO, IOSA — and a rule search showing which audit covers it.
IOSA and EASA readinessExternal audit readiness for the EASA Part-145 visit and the IOSA renewal audit: share evidenced, the largest gaps and a rehearsal of the auditor's questions.
The monthly compliance reviewOne cited page for the Accountable Executive — are we compliant, what the agents found, why, what changed, the program and what needs him — to sign or return.
Governance

Built for an audit of the auditors: cited, signed, on the record.

Every finding cites its rule and evidenceEach early warning and finding links to the record it came from and quotes the passage of 14 CFR, 49 CFR, EASA, IOSA or the airline's manual it relies on, with the Rule Checker's confidence.
A named person decides and signsAuditors confirm or dismiss every finding; the Compliance Monitoring Manager approves every program change and corrective action plan; the Accountable Executive signs the monthly review — each with a reason code and a signature.
Doubt is shown, not hiddenTwo agents check each other before a person sees a warning. Where the Rule Checker disagrees with the Sampling Agent, the warning says “Agents disagree” and shows both views.
Read-only agents, restricted security recordsThe agents read records, draft and propose. None contacts frontline staff or changes an operational record, and security-sensitive (SSI) records stay in a restricted view, summarized and never quoted.
Closed only when a re-sample proves itA corrective action plan closes when a fresh sample of the same evidence stream shows the problem is gone. The Effectiveness Check Agent proposes close or reopen; the manager decides.
Every step on the audit trailEvery action by a person or an agent is recorded with the time, the reason and the signature, cannot be edited, and exports as CSV, or as an evidence pack for the FAA principal inspector, the EASA or the IOSA auditor.
Configuration

Your manual's rules, not ours

The program rules, finding levels, clocks, sampling plans and escalations are settings, saved with a reason and on the audit trail.

SettingDefaultChoose from
Every area audited at leastOnce a yearOnce a year · Every 24 months
Program Planner may propose moving an audit earlierOn, when an area's risk score rises by 0.20 or moreOn · Off
Program Planner may propose moving an audit laterOff — only a person can delay an auditOn · Off
Level 1 finding clocksContainment 24 hours · plan 7 days · closure 30 daysContainment 24 or 48 hours · plan 7 or 14 days · closure 30 or 60 days
Level 2 finding clocksPlan 30 days · closure 90 daysPlan 30 or 14 days · closure 60, 90 or 120 days
MEL deferrals sampling planWeekly · 100% with an extension, 188 at randomNightly · Weekly · Monthly, per stream
Reminders before a due date14, 7 and 1 daysOn · Off
Overdue escalationDepartment VP after 1 day; a Level 1 action to the Accountable Executive at onceOn · Off
Connections

Aviation compliance monitoring software that reads the records you already keep

Maintenance and engineering systemMEL deferrals and extensions, technical log, AD records, tool calibration
Crew training recordsqualifications, training and checks
Flight planning and dispatchdispatch releases, amendments and ACARS acknowledgments
Load control and station checklistsload sheets and NOTOCs; ramp, fueling and de-icing checklists
Safety management systemhazards, risk assessments and change records
Regulations and manuals14 CFR, 49 CFR, EASA and IOSA standards; GMM, GOM, DGM and the program manual
What it changes

The difference, in numbers.

Every figure is labelled: a target the solution is built to, an estimate, a typical published result, or a proven one.

estimated
4months earlier
an MEL overrun found 5 days after the flights, not at the audit planned for February
Next auditFeb 8
FoundOct 14
target
0Level 1
findings at FAA, EASA and IOSA audits, with every requirement covered in the cycle
requirements covered
typical
$75Kper violation
FAA civil penalty for a carrier; each flight can count, so 4 legs is up to $300,000
4 legs exposed$300,000
Found in-house$0

“demo” = seen in the working solution, on its sample data · “target” = the design goal, measured in the live solution · “estimated” = our estimate · “typical” = published figures (89 FR 106282 — FAA civil penalty of up to $75,000 per violation for a carrier; IATA on risk-based IOSA audits — about twice the non-conformities in 2025; 14 CFR 121.373, 121.628 and 5.71, EASA 145.A.200 and FAA AC 120-59B, as context). Corvane Airways, Halvard Air and the people named on this page are fictional — characters and sample data in the working solution.

Questions

What compliance and quality teams ask about aviation compliance monitoring software.

What is aviation compliance monitoring software?

Aviation compliance monitoring software — also called aviation audit management software or airline quality assurance audit software — runs an airline's internal audit program against the rules: the audit plan, findings, corrective action plans and proof they worked. The FAA calls this the internal evaluation program (AC 120-59B); EASA calls it compliance monitoring, run by the compliance monitoring manager. Aviation Compliance Monitoring adds seven agents that sample operational records between audits, cite the rule, draft findings and plans, and propose moving audits by risk, while auditors and the compliance monitoring manager decide.

How does it find compliance problems between internal audits?

The Evidence Sampling Agent draws risk-weighted samples from 11 record streams — MEL deferrals, training records, dispatch releases, NOTOCs, station and de-icing checklists and more — on each stream's own cadence. A Rule Checker confirms every flag against the regulation and the manual before an auditor sees it. In the working solution an MEL overrun was found 5 days after the flights, with the area's audit planned for February.

Which regulations and standards does it check against?

The working solution's requirement library holds 1,284 requirements: 14 CFR Parts 121, 5 and 120, 49 CFR 171–175, the TSA security program, EASA Part-145 and Part-TCO, and the IOSA standards, mapped to the airline's own manuals. Each finding cites the passage it relies on, such as 14 CFR 121.628(a)(5) for an MEL repair interval.

What is the difference between a Level 1 and a Level 2 finding?

In the working solution's program manual, a Level 1 finding is a non-compliance that lowers safety or risks a regulator action, with containment in 24 hours and closure in 30 days; a Level 2 is a non-compliance that could lower safety, with a plan in 30 days and closure in 90. An observation is a weakness to fix, not a non-compliance. The definitions and clocks are settings that follow your manual.

How do you prove a corrective action was effective?

When every action in a plan is done, the Effectiveness Check Agent re-samples the same evidence stream over the plan's window and proposes close or reopen with the numbers. In the working solution a cabin equipment plan was proposed for reopening after 3 of 90 re-sampled checks failed again — with the caution that the Rule Checker doubts those three records, so the station's paper cards decide. The manager decides.

Can it help us prepare for an IOSA renewal or an EASA Part-145 visit?

Yes. For IOSA audit readiness and an EASA Part-145 visit, the readiness screen shows the share of standards already evidenced from the same records the agents sample — 421 of 483 IOSA standards and 108 of 118 Part-145 requirements in the working solution — with the largest gaps, and rehearses the auditor's questions. An evidence pack for the FAA principal inspector, the EASA or the IOSA auditor exports from the findings and the audit trail.

Do auditors and the manager stay in control?

Yes. The agents read records, draft and propose, and never act unseen. An auditor confirms or dismisses every finding, the compliance monitoring manager approves every program change and corrective action plan, and the Accountable Executive signs the monthly review, each with a reason code and a signature, on an audit trail that cannot be edited.

How long does it take to go live?

The Agentic Solution Engine builds and deploys it from your requirements and documents — your program manual, last year's audit program and findings, and the systems your records live in — and it goes live once every quality gate has passed. We will walk you through it on a sample of your own records first.

See it on
your audit program.

We'll run Aviation Compliance Monitoring on a sample of your own records, findings and audit program.