The term “airworthiness” is used in international documents regulating aviation matters and has been adopted by international and national civil aviation organisations (ICAO, EASA, FAA, etc.).
There are several equivalent definitions of airworthiness in the regulatory documents of the civil aviation organisations and in the international literature. For the purposes of harmonisation with the member states of the European Union, the definition adopted in the Presidential Decree 85/2020 (Government Gazette A’198), which defines the airworthiness requirements for military aircraft and the organisation of the HNMAA, is as follows:
“Airworthiness is the ability of an aircraft or other aeronautical system to operate in flight and on the ground with acceptable safety for the crew, passengers (if any), persons on the ground or other third parties.”
Airworthiness covers a wide range of activities that take place throughout the life cycle of an aeronautical system, covering its design, initial certification, production and maintenance. In summary, the airworthiness requirements specify that all of the above activities are required to be performed in accordance with approved standards and procedures, by appropriately trained and licensed personnel, working in approved organisations.
It is appropriate to clarify that airworthiness concerns only the aeronautical system and the activities related to the maintenance of its safe flight capability, and not the other areas – activities of aviation (common rules of the air, pilot licensing, air traffic, airports, etc.).