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Aviation glossary

Entry into service

Also: EIS, service entry, commercial debut

Manufacturing and maintenance

The date on which a new aircraft type starts carrying fare-paying passengers or revenue cargo with an airline, usually its launch customer.

What it is

Entry into service, often shortened to EIS, follows certification and the first delivery, when the new type operates its first commercial flight with tickets on sale. Airlines and manufacturers tend to mark it with some ceremony, because it is the point at which an industrial programme becomes an aircraft earning its keep every day.

The first months are a period of maturing. The airline, the manufacturer and the engine makers watch reliability closely, iron out teething troubles and fine-tune maintenance procedures, which is why some operators prefer to wait until a type has a track record before taking it on.

Well-known examples include the Airbus A380, which entered service with Singapore Airlines between Singapore and Sydney in 2007, and the Boeing 787, which made its commercial debut with ANA in 2011.

On Vuelopedia

Airbus A380 Singapore Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Related terms

Launch customerFirst airline or operator to order a new aircraft model in sufficient numbers for the manufacturer to commit to launching the programme. Type certificateDocument in which an aviation authority declares that the design of an aircraft, engine or propeller model meets the applicable airworthiness requirements. DeliveryThe handover of a new aircraft from its manufacturer to the customer, an airline or a lessor, after acceptance checks and final payment. Flight test campaignThe series of test flights through which a manufacturer shows the authorities that a new aircraft type meets the requirements for certification. First flightThe moment an aircraft leaves the ground for the first time, whether it is the first example of a new type or an individual production airframe.
Whole glossary

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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Entry into service. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/entry-into-service

MLA

“Entry into service.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/entry-into-service. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Entry into service.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/entry-into-service.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Entry into service. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/entry-into-service (Accessed: 17 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_entry_into_service,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Entry into service}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/entry-into-service},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/entry-into-service}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-17},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/entry-into-service |title=Entry into service |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}

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