Continuing Airworthiness
Definition
Continuing Airworthiness management is the process by which an aircraft is kept in a condition where it remains airworthy throughout its life - i.e. technically fit for flight.
In the words of ICAO:
“All of the processes ensuring that, at any time in its life, an aeroplane complies with the technical conditions fixed to the issue of the Certificate of Airworthiness and is in a condition for safe operation" - source: ICAO Airworthiness Manual [ICAO, 2014]
Description
The ultimate responsibility for continued airworthiness is assigned in ICAO Annex 8 to the State of Design, but the programme to achieve continuing airworthiness is a matter for the State of Registry. It is useful to compare Continued and Continuing as they are sometimes used interchangeably. Continued Airworthiness is also known as Type Airworthiness [MAA, 2016] or Initial Airworthiness [EC, 2014]
Continued Airworthiness = “All the actions associated with the upkeep of a type design and the associated approved data through life.” - Source MAA02 glossary [MAA, 2016]
Continuing Airworthiness = “All of the processes ensuring that, at any time in its operating life, the aircraft complies with the airworthiness requirements in force and is in a condition for safe operation” - Source EC1321/2014 Article 2 [EC, 2014]