(8) ‘aircraft’ means a machine that can derive support in the atmosphere from the reactions of the air

other than the reactions of the air against the earth’s surface;

(8a) ‘aircraft tracking’ means a ground based process that maintains and updates, at standardised
intervals, a record of the four dimensional position of individual aircraft in flight;

(8b) ‘aircraft tracking system’ means a system that relies on aircraft tracking in order to identify
abnormal flight behaviour and provide alert; Easy Access Rules for Air Operations ANNEX I –
Definitions

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(8c) ‘alternate aerodrome’ means an adequate aerodrome to which an aircraft may proceed when it
becomes either impossible or inadvisable to proceed to or land at the aerodrome of intended
landing, where the necessary services and facilities are available, where aircraft performance
requirements can be met, and which is operational at the expected time of use; ‘alternate
aerodrome’ includes the following:

(a) ‘take-off alternate aerodrome’: an alternate aerodrome at which an aircraft would be able to land
if it becomes necessary shortly after take-off and it is not possible to use the aerodrome of departure;

(b) ‘en route alternate (ERA) aerodrome’: an alternate aerodrome at which an aircraft would be able
to land if a diversion becomes necessary while en route;

(c) ‘fuel/energy en route alternate (fuel/energy ERA) aerodrome’ means an ERA aerodrome that is
required at the planning stage for use in the calculation of fuel/energy;

(d) ‘destination alternate aerodrome’: an alternate aerodrome at which an aircraft would be able to
land if it becomes either impossible or inadvisable to land at the aerodrome of intended landing;

(9) ‘alternative means of compliance’ means those means that propose an alternative to an existing
acceptable means of compliance or those that propose new means to establish compliance with
Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 and its Implementing Rules for which no associated AMC have been
adopted by the Agency;

(10) ‘anti-icing’, in the case of ground procedures, means a procedure that provides protection
against the formation of frost or ice and accumulation of snow on treated surfaces of the aircraft for a
limited period of time (hold-over time);

(11) [deleted with Reg. (EU) 2021/2237]

(11a) [deleted with Reg. (EU) 2018/1975]

(12) ‘cabin crew member’ means an appropriately qualified crew member, other than a flight crew or
technical crew member, who is assigned by an operator to perform duties related to the safety of
passengers and flight during operations;

(13) [deleted with Reg. (EU) 2021/2237]

(14) [deleted with Reg. (EU) 2021/2237]

(15) [deleted with Reg. (EU) 2021/2237]

(16) [deleted with Reg. (EU) 2021/2237]

(17) ‘category A with respect to helicopters’ means a multi-engined helicopter designed with engine
and system isolation features specified in the applicable certification specification and capable of
operations using take-off and landing data scheduled under a critical engine failure concept that
assures adequate designated surface area and adequate performance capability for continued safe
flight or safe rejected take-off in the event of engine failure;

(18) ‘category B with respect to helicopters’ means a single-engined or multi-engined helicopter that
does not meet category A standards. Category B helicopters have no guaranteed capability to
continue safe flight in the event of an engine failure, and unscheduled landing is assumed;

(18a) ‘ceiling’ means the height above the ground or water of the base of the lowest layer of cloud
below 6 000 m (20 000 ft) covering more than half the sky; Easy Access Rules for Air Operations
ANNEX I – Definitions

Powered by EASA eRules Page 183 of 2426| Feb 2025

(19) ‘certification specifications’ (CS) means technical standards adopted by the Agency indicating
means to show compliance with Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 and its Implementing Rules and which
can be used by an organisation for the purpose of certification;

(20) ‘circling’ means the visual phase of a circling approach operation;

(20a) ‘circling approach operation’ means a Type A instrument approach operation to bring an aircraft
into position for landing on a runway/final approach and take-off area (FATO) that is not suitably
located for a straight-in approach;

(21) ‘clearway’ means a defined rectangular area on the ground or water under the control of the
appropriate authority, selected or prepared as a suitable area over which an aeroplane may make a
portion of its initial climb to a specified height;

[applicable until 30 April 2025 — Regulation (EU) 2023/1020]

(21) ‘clearway’ means a defined rectangular area on the ground or on water under the control of the
appropriate authority, selected or prepared as a suitable area over which an aircraft may make a
portion of its initial climb to a specified height;

[applicable from 1 May 2025 — Regulation (EU) 2024/1111]

(22) ‘cloud base’ means the height of the base of the lowest observed or forecast cloud element in
the vicinity of an aerodrome or operating site or within a specified area of operations, normally
measured above aerodrome elevation or, in the case of offshore operations, above mean sea level;

(22a) ‘cockpit voice recorder (CVR)’ means a crash-protected flight recorder that uses a combination
of microphones and other audio and digital inputs to collect and record the aural environment of the
flight crew compartment and communications to, from and between the flight crew members;

(23) ‘code share’ means an arrangement under which an operator places its designator code on a
flight operated by another operator, and sells and issues tickets for that flight;

(23a) ‘competency’ means a dimension of human performance that is used to reliably predict
successful performance on the job and which is manifested and observed through behaviours that
mobilise the relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes to carry out activities or tasks under specified
conditions;
(23b) ‘competency-based training’ means assessment and training programmes that are
characterised by a performance orientation, emphasis on standards of performance and their
measurement and the development of training to the specified performance standards;

(23c) ‘competency framework’ means a complete set of identified competencies that are developed,
trained and assessed in the operator’s evidence-based training programme utilising scenarios that are
relevant to operations and which is wide enough to prepare the pilot for both foreseen and
unforeseen threats and errors;

(24) ‘congested area’ means in relation to a city, town or settlement, any area which is substantially
used for residential, commercial or recreational purposes;

(25) ‘contaminated runway’ means a runway of which a significant portion of its surface area
(whether in isolated areas or not) within the length and width being used is covered by one or more
of the substances listed under the runway surface condition descriptors; Easy Access Rules for Air
Operations ANNEX I – Definitions

Powered by EASA eRules Page 184 of 2426| Feb 2025

(26) ‘contingency fuel/energy’ means the fuel/energy required to compensate for unforeseen factors
that could have an influence on the fuel/energy consumption to the destination aerodrome;

[applicable until 30 April 2025 — Regulation (EU) 2023/1020]

(26) ‘contingency fuel/energy’ means the fuel/energy required to compensate for unforeseen factors
that could have an influence on the fuel/energy consumption to the destination aerodrome or
vertiport;

[applicable from 1 May 2025 — Regulation (EU) 2024/1111]

(27) ‘continuous descent final approach (CDFA)’ means a technique, consistent with stabilised
approach procedures, for flying the final approach segment (FAS) of an instrument non-precision
approach (NPA) procedure as a continuous descent, without level-off, from an altitude/height at or
above the final approach fix altitude/height:

(a) for straight-in approach operations, to a point approximately 15 m (50 ft) above the landing
runway threshold or the point where the flare manoeuvre begins; or

(b) for circling approach operations, until MDA/H or visual flight manoeuvre altitude/height is
reached;

(28) ‘converted meteorological visibility (CMV)’ means a value, equivalent to an RVR, which is derived
from the reported meteorological visibility;

(29) ‘crew member’ means a person assigned by an operator to perform duties on board an aircraft;

(30) ‘critical phases of flight’ in the case of aeroplanes means the take-off run, the take-off flight path,
the final approach, the missed approach, the landing, including the landing roll, and any other phases
of flight as determined by the pilot-in-command or commander;

(31) ‘critical phases of flight’ in the case of helicopters means taxiing, hovering, take-off, final
approach, missed approach, the landing and any other phases of flight as determined by the pilot-in-
command or commander;
[applicable until 30 April 2025 — Regulation (EU) 2023/1020]

(31) ‘critical phases of flight’ means:

(a) for helicopters, taxiing, hovering, take-off, final approach, missed approach, landing and any other
phases of flight as determined by the pilot-in-command or the commander;

(b) for VCA, ground taxiing with passengers for the purpose of flight or after landing, air taxiing,
hovering, take-off, final approach, missed approach (go-around), landing and any other phase of flight
as determined by the pilot-in-command;

[applicable from 1 May 2025 — Regulation (EU) 2024/1111]

(31a) ‘current fuel/energy scheme’ means the approved fuel/energy scheme that is currently used by
the operator;

(32) [deleted with Reg. (EU) 2019/1387]

(33) ‘dangerous goods (DG)’ means articles or substances which are capable of posing a risk to health,
safety, property or the environment and which are shown in the list of dangerous goods in the
technical instructions or which are classified according to those instructions;

(34) ‘dangerous goods accident’ means an occurrence associated with and related to the transport of
dangerous goods by air which results in fatal or serious injury to a person or major property damage;
Easy Access Rules for Air Operations ANNEX I – Definitions

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(35) ‘dangerous goods incident’ means:

(a) an occurrence other than a dangerous goods accident associated with and related to the transport
of dangerous goods by air, not necessarily occurring on board an aircraft, which results in injury to a
person, property damage, fire, breakage, spillage, leakage of fluid or radiation or other evidence that
the integrity of the packaging has not been maintained;

(b) any occurrence relating to the transport of dangerous goods which seriously jeopardises an
aircraft or its occupants;

(35a) ‘decision altitude (DA) or decision height (DH)’ means a specified altitude or height in a 3D
instrument approach operation at which a missed approach procedure must be initiated if the
required visual reference to continue the approach has not been established;

(36) ‘de-icing’, in the case of ground procedures, means a procedure by which frost, ice, snow or slush
is removed from an aircraft in order to provide uncontaminated surfaces;

(37) ‘defined point after take-off (DPATO)’ means the point, within the take-off and initial climb phase,
before which the helicopter’s ability to continue the flight safely, with the critical engine inoperative,
is not assured and a forced landing may be required;

(38) ‘defined point before landing (DPBL)’ means the point within the approach and landing phase,
after which the helicopter’s ability to continue the flight safely, with the critical engine inoperative, is
not assured and a forced landing may be required;
(39) ‘distance DR’ means the horizontal distance that the helicopter has travelled from the end of the
take-off distance available;

[applicable until 30 April 2025 — Regulation (EU) 2023/1020]

(39) ‘distance DR’ means the horizontal distance that the helicopter or the VCA has travelled from the
end of the take-off distance available;

[applicable from 1 May 2025 — Regulation (EU) 2024/1111]

(40) ‘dry lease agreement’ means an agreement between undertakings pursuant to which the aircraft
is operated under the air operator certificate (AOC) of the lessee or, in the case of commercial
operations other than CAT, under the responsibility of the lessee;

(41) ‘dry operating mass’ means the total mass of the aircraft ready for a specific type of operation,
excluding usable fuel and traffic load;

(42) ‘dry runway’ means a runway whose surface is free of visible moisture and not contaminated
within the area intended to be used;

(42a) ‘EFB application’ means a software application installed on an EFB host platform that provides
one or more specific operational functions which support flight operations;

(42b) ‘EFB host platform’ means the hardware equipment in which the computing capabilities and
basic software reside, including the operating system and the input/output software;

(42c) ‘EFB system’ means the hardware equipment (including any battery, connectivity provisions,
input/output components) and software (including databases and the operating system) needed to
support the intended EFB application(s);

(42d) ‘EBT module’ means a combination of sessions in a qualified flight simulation training device as
part of the 3-year period of recurrent assessment and training;