Aviation customs & compliance glossary

EASA Form 1 is the standard Authorised Release Certificate used by EASA-approved production and maintenance organisations to certify that a part or appliance was released in conformity with approved data.

FAA Form 8130-3 is the US airworthiness approval and conformity tag used to approve articles for export, return to service, or maintenance release under FAA rules.

A certificate of origin is documentary evidence stating where goods were produced or underwent sufficient working, supporting preferential duty claims or statistical reporting.

A Certificate of Release to Service is the maintenance statement confirming that an aircraft part or component has been inspected, repaired, or maintained and released under the applicable approval rules.

The Entry Summary Declaration is the pre-arrival safety and security filing summarising cargo before it enters customs territory—closely tied to ICS for EU flows.

A customs declaration is the legal statement submitted to border authorities describing imported or exported goods, their classification, value, and procedural treatment.

ICS2 is the EU’s advance cargo information system that requires carriers, freight forwarders, and postal operators to submit safety and security data before arrival.

CARM is the Canada Border Services Agency programme modernising how importers register, post financial security, and submit declarations digitally.

CDS is HMRC’s digital customs declaration platform replacing CHIEF, using data elements mapped to the EU-style Union Customs Code concepts adapted for the UK.

CBAM is the EU mechanism placing reporting—and ultimately a carbon price—on imports of certain emissions-intensive goods, including some metals tied to aviation supply chains.

A T1 transit document allows non-Union goods to move under customs control through the EU or common transit countries before import duties and taxes are finally settled.

The EORI number is the unique identifier customs authorities use to track economic operators across EU and UK declarations and safety filings.

EASA Part 145 is the regulation governing approved maintenance organisations, defining who may maintain aircraft and components and issue releases like EASA Form 1.

EASA Part M is the continuing airworthiness framework that sets responsibilities for keeping aircraft and components airworthy throughout operation and maintenance planning.

Incoterms are ICC standard clauses allocating cost, risk, and export/import formalities between buyer and seller—feeding directly into who files customs and who pays duty.

An air waybill is the carrier’s contract of carriage and receipt for air freight, carrying shipper, consignee, routing, and charge data.

A commercial invoice is the seller’s bill stating what was sold, for how much, and to whom—forming the backbone of customs valuation and audit trails.

A packing list enumerates cartons, weights, dimensions, and item contents for a shipment—bridging physical cargo to invoice and declaration lines.

The Dangerous Goods Declaration is the shipper’s statement that hazardous materials are classified, packed, and labelled per IATA/ADR rules for air transport.

An HS code is the international nomenclature key that classifies goods for customs duties, statistics, and many trade compliance screens.

A commodity code is the full national classification code (often 8–10 digits in the EU) derived from the HS nomenclature, determining duty, VAT, and measure-specific rules.

AOG is an operational status indicating an aircraft cannot fly until a required part, repair, or certificate issue is resolved—making customs speed business-critical.

MRO describes the maintenance ecosystem that keeps aircraft airworthy—workshops, line maintenance, and overhaul providers that generate release certificates and customs-heavy parts movements.

A Component Maintenance Manual is OEM or approved maintenance data describing how a specific aviation component is inspected, repaired, tested, and released.

Shelf life for aviation parts is the approved time limit during which a part, material, or consumable may be stored and used before expiry or required reinspection.

Repairable parts are aviation components that can be restored to serviceable condition through approved inspection, repair, overhaul, or test processes.