Mandatory instruction issued by an aviation authority to correct an unsafe condition found in a type of aircraft, engine or component.
What it is
When a problem that could affect safety is found on a model, the authority of the state of design publishes a directive stating which aircraft are affected, what must be done (an inspection, a replacement, a modification or a new operating limit) and by when. Authorities in other countries generally adopt it or issue their own. Unlike a service bulletin, compliance is not optional: an aircraft that has not complied is no longer airworthy.
Many directives simply make a manufacturer's service bulletin mandatory, and most deal with routine matters such as inspecting a part every so many cycles. Where the risk is urgent, emergency directives take effect immediately. Keeping track of the directives that apply to each aircraft is a core task for any airline's maintenance and engineering department.
Related terms
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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Airworthiness directive. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/airworthiness-directive
MLA
“Airworthiness directive.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/airworthiness-directive. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Airworthiness directive.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/airworthiness-directive.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Airworthiness directive. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/airworthiness-directive (Accessed: 16 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_airworthiness_directive,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Airworthiness directive}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-09},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/airworthiness-directive},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/airworthiness-directive}},
urldate = {2026-10-16},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/airworthiness-directive |title=Airworthiness directive |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}