If you are looking into a career in aircraft maintenance, you have probably come across three acronyms that seem to mean the same thing: LMA, EASA and TMA. They are related, but they are not the same. Understanding the difference is the first step to knowing which license you need and where you will be able to work.
What is the EASA Part-66 license?
The EASA Part-66 license is the aircraft maintenance license used across Europe. EASA (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency) sets the rules: what knowledge you must demonstrate, how much experience you need and what each license holder can do. But EASA does not issue the license itself. It is issued by each country’s civil aviation authority; in Spain, that is AESA (Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea).
The license is organized into categories. The best known are:
- B1 = mechanical maintenance technician: structures, engines, and mechanical and electrical systems.
- B2 = avionics technician: electrical, communication, navigation and instrument systems.
- C = base maintenance certification for the complete aircraft.
To obtain it, you must pass the basic knowledge modules required for your category and prove practical maintenance experience. The number of years of experience depends on your previous training.
What is the LMA license?
LMA stands for Licencia de Mantenimiento de Aeronaves (aircraft maintenance license). It is the name used in Spain for the Part-66 license issued by AESA. That is why you often see “LMA Part 66” or “LMA EASA”: they refer to the same license.
Put simply, an LMA is an EASA Part-66 license issued in Spain. A technician with an LMA holds a European license, with the same privileges as one issued by any other EASA country.
What does TMA mean?
TMA stands for Técnico de Mantenimiento Aeronáutico (aircraft maintenance technician), and the term is used in two ways:
- As a profession = TMA is the usual way to refer to a technician who works in aircraft maintenance, with or without a license. Spanish-language job offers often say “TMA wanted” or “TMA with a B1 license”.
- As a national license = in Spain, the former TMA license was regulated by Royal Decree 284/2002. That decree was repealed in 2022, but it still applies to maintenance licenses for simple aircraft not used for commercial air transport, balloons and gliders, and for aircraft outside EASA’s scope. Commercial aviation requires the Part-66 license.
In Latin America, TMA is also used for the maintenance technician training and license issued by each local authority. That license is valid in its own country, but it is not equivalent to an EASA license.
Which countries are EASA members?
EASA is made up of the 27 European Union countries plus 4 associated countries:
- European Union = Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
- Associated countries = Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. They are not EU members, but they apply EASA rules.
That makes 31 countries in total. A Part-66 license issued in any of them is recognized in all the others. A technician with a Spanish LMA can work in a hangar in Germany, Portugal or Norway without obtaining another license.
The United Kingdom left the EASA system after Brexit, on January 1, 2021. It now has its own Part-66 license, issued by the UK CAA, which is not automatically recognized in the EU.
What does “EASA or non-EASA” mean?
It is a common question in job offers and training schools, and it refers to the regulatory framework that applies:
- EASA = the license, training or maintenance organization follows European rules (Part-66 for licenses, Part-147 for training organizations and Part-145 for maintenance organizations).
- Non-EASA = they follow the rules of another authority, such as the FAA in the United States, the UK CAA in the United Kingdom, or the local authorities of each Latin American country.
Why does it matter? Because a license only grants privileges within the system that issued it. An EASA license does not allow you to certify US-registered aircraft, where the FAA A&P license is required. And an FAA license or a Latin American national license does not automatically convert into an EASA license: to get one, you need to pass the Part-66 modules and meet the experience requirements.
So if your goal is to work in Europe, or for airlines and MROs operating under European rules, the license you need is the EASA Part-66.
Which license is right for you?
The answer depends on where you want to work:
- If you want to work in Spain or any EASA country = you need the EASA Part-66 license (LMA).
- If you want to work in the United States = you need the FAA A&P license.
- If you only want to work in your Latin American country = your local authority’s license may be enough, although more and more companies value the EASA license.
At 360 Aviation Life, we prepare technicians from Spain and Latin America for their EASA Part-66 B1 and B2 license, with 100% online training designed for working technicians and support all the way to the exam. Want to know which path is right for you? Message us on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
Are the LMA license and the EASA license the same thing?
Yes. LMA is the name used in Spain for the EASA Part-66 license issued by AESA.
Is TMA a license?
TMA stands for Técnico de Mantenimiento Aeronáutico (aircraft maintenance technician). It refers to the profession and to a former Spanish national license that today only applies to aircraft outside EASA’s scope. Commercial aviation in Europe requires the Part-66 license.
How many countries are EASA members?
31: the 27 European Union countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Is my EASA license valid in another European country?
Yes. A Part-66 license issued in one EASA country is recognized in all the other EASA countries.
Is an EASA license valid in the USA?
Not for certifying US-registered aircraft. In the US, the FAA A&P license is required.
