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Aviation glossary

Type certificate

Also: TC, type certification, type approval

Registration and rules

Document in which an aviation authority declares that the design of an aircraft, engine or propeller model meets the applicable airworthiness requirements.

What it is

The type certificate is issued by the authority of the state of design, such as EASA for Airbus or the FAA for Boeing, after years of analysis, ground testing and a flight test campaign. For large transport aircraft the benchmark standards are Europe's CS-25 and the American Part 25, which are closely aligned. Other authorities usually validate the original certificate rather than repeating the whole process.

The certificate comes with a data sheet listing the approved variants, permitted engines and operating limits. It is not reissued for each aircraft, and new variants are added as amendments: the Boeing 737 type certificate, for example, has been extended from the 1960s all the way to the 737 MAX.

On Vuelopedia

Boeing 737 Boeing 737 MAX

Related terms

Certificate of airworthinessDocument 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. Flight test campaignThe series of test flights through which a manufacturer shows the authorities that a new aircraft type meets the requirements for certification. EASAEuropean Union agency responsible for civil aviation safety, which certifies aircraft, engines and components and harmonises rules across Europe. FAAUnited States government agency that regulates the country's civil aviation, certifies aircraft and provides air traffic control services. VariantVersion of an aircraft model that keeps the basic design but changes features such as length, engines, range or intended role.
Whole glossary

Cite

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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Type certificate. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/type-certificate

MLA

“Type certificate.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/type-certificate. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

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

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Type certificate. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/type-certificate (Accessed: 16 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_type_certificate,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Type certificate}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/type-certificate},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/type-certificate}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-16},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/type-certificate |title=Type certificate |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}

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