Each foreign air carrier and each foreign person operating a U.S.-registered aircraft within or outside the United States in common carriage must ensure that each aircraft is maintained in accordance with a program approved by the Administrator in the operations specifications.

No foreign air carrier or foreign person may operate a U.S.-registered aircraft with inoperable instruments or equipment unless the following conditions are met:

A master minimum equipment list exists for the aircraft type.

The foreign operator submits for review and approval its aircraft minimum equipment list based on the master minimum equipment list, to the responsible Flight Standards office for the operator. The foreign operator must show, before minimum equipment list approval can be obtained, that the maintenance procedures used under its maintenance program are adequate to support the use of its minimum equipment list.

For leased aircraft maintained and operated under a U.S. operator's continuous airworthiness maintenance program and FAA-approved minimum equipment list, the foreign operator submits the U.S. operator's approved continuous airworthiness maintenance program and approved aircraft minimum equipment list to the FAA office prescribed in paragraph (b)(2) of this section for review and evaluation. The foreign operator must show that it is capable of operating under the lessor's approved maintenance program and that it is also capable of meeting the maintenance and operational requirements specified in the lessor's approved minimum equipment list.

The FAA operations specification permitting the operator to use an approved minimum equipment list is carried aboard the aircraft. An approved minimum equipment list, as authorized by the operations specifications, constitutes an approved change to the type design without requiring recertification.

The approved minimum equipment list provides for the operation of the aircraft with certain instruments and equipment in an inoperable condition.

The aircraft records available to the pilot must include an entry describing the inoperable instruments and equipment.

The aircraft is operated under all applicable conditions and limitations contained in the minimum equipment list and the operations specification authorizing the use of the list.