Introduction

Airworthiness, understood as the ability of an aircraft to operate in safe conditions, has always been an essential pillar of aviation. However, between 2023 and 2025, this concept has undergone a profound transformation, driven by regulatory changes, technological advances and a more mature safety culture. In this article, we explore how airworthiness management has evolved and what impact it has had on safety, maintenance costs, and passenger confidence.

What is airworthiness and why is it so important?

Airworthiness is divided into two main areas:

• Initial airworthiness: certifies that an aircraft is safe to fly from its design and manufacture.
• Continued airworthiness: Ensures that the aircraft is kept in a safe condition throughout its service life through inspections, maintenance and regulatory compliance.

Without rigorous airworthiness management, an aircraft cannot operate legally. International regulations, led by ICAO, EASA and FAA, set strict requirements to ensure that each aircraft is in optimal condition before, during and after each flight.

Key regulatory changes (2023–2025)

ICAO, EASA, and FAA Updates

• ICAO: Updated its Global Safety Plan (GASP) 2023–2025, with the aim of achieving zero fatal accidents by 2030 and promoting the universal implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS).
• EASA: Mandated mandatory implementation of SMS in all Part 145 maintenance organizations by December 2024 and has pushed the "One CAMO" concept to centralize airworthiness management across airline groups.
• FAA: Strengthened oversight of aircraft design and published a roadmap for the safe integration of artificial intelligence in aviation.

These measures have raised the bar and fostered a more proactive and collaborative safety culture.

CAMO and AMO: two complementary pillars

The CAMO (Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation) and AMO (Approved Maintenance Organisation) have distinct but complementary roles:

Both organizations work in synergy to ensure that each aircraft complies with technical and regulatory requirements, and that any intervention is properly planned, executed and documented.

Technological advances: predictive maintenance and digitalization

Technology has revolutionized airworthiness management:

• Predictive maintenance: Based on artificial intelligence and data analysis, it allows failures to be anticipated before they occur. Boeing, with its Insight Accelerator platform, has helped All Nippon Airways reduce AOG events by 30% and save millions of dollars annually.
• Digitization of technical records (ELB/eTL): It has replaced paper journals, improving traceability, reducing errors and speeding up decision-making.
• Artificial intelligence: It is used to analyze large volumes of maintenance and safety data, allowing risk patterns to be detected and inspections to be prioritized.

These tools not only improve safety but also optimize resources and reduce operational costs.

Tangible results: more security, lower costs, greater confidence

• The fatal accident rate in 2023 was just 0.03 per million flights, according to IATA, the best ever records.
• Airlines that have adopted predictive technologies have reduced their maintenance costs by 10% to 20%.
• Passenger confidence remains high, supported by transparency, punctuality, and the perception of a modern, safe industry.

Major milestones (2023–2025)

Airworthiness management has evolved towards a more proactive, digitized and collaborative model. Thanks to more stringent regulations, more prepared organizations and smarter technologies, commercial aviation is safer, more efficient and more reliable today than ever before. The challenge now is to maintain this evolution, avoid complacency and continue to innovate to ensure that each flight is as safe as the last... or even more.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Airworthiness
• EUR-Lex: Airworthiness and Environmental Certification
• EASA: Continued airworthiness
• EGA Master: CAMO and AMO in Airworthiness
• National Geographic Spain: Is it safe to fly in 2025?
• FAA Safety Team: Understanding Airworthiness Directives (ADs)
• Boeing: Insight Accelerator
• IATA: Roadmap for ELB/eTL