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Aviation glossary

Certificate of airworthiness

Also: CofA, C of A, airworthiness certificate

Registration and rules

Document issued by the state of registry to an individual aircraft, confirming that it conforms to its approved design and is in a condition for safe operation.

What it is

Whereas the type certificate approves a design, the certificate of airworthiness applies to one particular aircraft, identified by its registration and serial number. It is issued by the authority of the country where the aircraft is registered, and the Chicago Convention requires it to be carried on board. It remains valid only while the aircraft conforms to its approved design, with maintenance up to date and airworthiness directives complied with.

In Europe it is supplemented by an airworthiness review certificate that must be renewed periodically. When an aircraft is exported, the country of origin usually issues an export certificate of airworthiness, and the new state of registry grants its own after inspecting the aircraft.

Related terms

Type certificateDocument in which an aviation authority declares that the design of an aircraft, engine or propeller model meets the applicable airworthiness requirements. Airworthiness directiveMandatory instruction issued by an aviation authority to correct an unsafe condition found in a type of aircraft, engine or component. Aircraft registerOfficial record kept by each state of the aircraft entered on it, listing their registration, type, serial number and owner. Civil aviation authorityPublic body that regulates and oversees a country's civil aviation: it registers aircraft, issues licences and certifies airlines and airports. A, B, C and D checksPackages of scheduled maintenance, rising in depth from A to D, that an aircraft undergoes at set intervals of flight hours, cycles or calendar time.
Whole glossary

Cite

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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Certificate of airworthiness. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/certificate-of-airworthiness

MLA

“Certificate of airworthiness.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/certificate-of-airworthiness. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Certificate of airworthiness.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/certificate-of-airworthiness.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Certificate of airworthiness. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/certificate-of-airworthiness (Accessed: 17 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_certificate_of_airworthiness,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Certificate of airworthiness}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/certificate-of-airworthiness},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/certificate-of-airworthiness}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-17},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/certificate-of-airworthiness |title=Certificate of airworthiness |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}

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