Airworthiness directive (AD) tracking means knowing, for each aircraft, engine, propeller and component, which ADs apply, how and when each one was complied with, and when the next action is due. ADs are mandatory under EASA and FAA rules. Service bulletins (SBs) are manufacturer documents that become mandatory when an AD requires them. Both authorities require an AD status record that an inspector can audit at any time.
What an airworthiness directive is
Under EASA rules, point 21.A.3B of Part-21 (Regulation (EU) No 748/2012) defines an AD as "a document issued or adopted by the Agency which mandates actions to be performed on an aircraft to restore an acceptable level of safety". EASA issues an AD when an unsafe condition exists in an aircraft, or in an engine, propeller, part or appliance installed on it, and that condition is likely to exist or develop in other aircraft. Each AD must identify the unsafe condition, the affected aircraft, the actions, the compliance time and the entry into force date.
Under FAA rules, 14 CFR 39.3 says that ADs "are legally enforceable rules" that apply to aircraft, engines, propellers and appliances. ADs specify inspections, conditions and limitations, and the actions needed to resolve an unsafe condition (39.11).
Compliance is not optional in either system:
- EASA: M.A.303 of Part-M (Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014) says: "Any applicable airworthiness directive must be carried out within the requirements of that airworthiness directive, unless otherwise specified by the Agency."
- FAA: anyone who operates a product that does not meet an applicable AD violates 39.7, and under 39.9 each time you operate the aircraft is a new violation.
One more rule matters for tracking. Under 39.15, an AD still applies to a product that was modified, altered or repaired in the area the AD addresses. If the change prevents you from doing the AD actions, 39.17 requires you to request an alternative method of compliance.
What a service bulletin is, and when it becomes mandatory
A service bulletin is a document from the type certificate holder or another design approval holder. It describes an inspection, modification or procedure. On its own, an SB is the manufacturer's recommendation.
An SB becomes mandatory when an AD requires it. Part-21 point 21.A.3B(c) asks the design approval holder to propose the corrective action and to make the accomplishment instructions available. The AD then often refers to the SB. Under 14 CFR 39.27, when an AD incorporates a service document by reference, "the service document becomes part of the airworthiness directive". If the SB and the AD conflict, you must follow the AD.
For tracking, this means:
- The AD fixes the revision of the SB that you may use. A later SB revision is not automatically acceptable.
- Optional SBs still need a decision and a record: embodied, not embodied, or rejected, with the reason. The configuration drives AD applicability.
Types of AD and compliance times
The FAA issues ADs in three ways, according to AC 39-7D: a notice of proposed rulemaking followed by a final rule, a final rule with request for comment (an "immediately adopted rule"), and emergency ADs for urgent safety of flight issues. EASA normally publishes a proposed AD (PAD) for consultation, unless the unsafe condition requires immediate action, as its Airworthiness Directives page explains.
For tracking, the content of the AD matters more than the way it was issued:
| AD type | What it requires | What you must track |
|---|---|---|
| One-time AD | A single inspection, modification or replacement within a compliance time | Due limit, date and life at compliance, method of compliance, closed status |
| Recurring (repetitive) AD | An inspection repeated at a fixed interval | Last accomplishment and next due, in each applicable parameter |
| Recurring AD with terminating action | Repetitive inspections until a modification ends them | Inspection cycle until the terminating action is embodied, then the closure record |
| Multi-part AD | Different actions or options by configuration | Which part or option was accomplished on each aircraft or component |
| Emergency AD | Urgent action, sometimes before further flight | Immediate fleet screening and evidence of compliance |
Compliance times can be stated in flight hours, cycles, landings or calendar time. AC 39-7D gives examples such as "prior to further flight" and "within the next 10 landings", and warns that the limit is the time in the AD, not the next scheduled inspection.
For example, FAA AD 2005-14-07, for certain Boeing 727 airplanes, requires repetitive inspections of the foreflap carriage attach fittings. It also says that replacing the fittings with improved ones, following Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 727-57A0135, Revision 3, "constitutes terminating action" for the AD requirements. Your system must handle both states.
Alternative methods of compliance (AMOCs)
An AMOC is an approved way to address the unsafe condition that differs from the method in the AD. It can also change the compliance time. Under 14 CFR 39.19, anyone may propose an AMOC to the FAA, usually through their principal inspector, and may use it only after the manager of the office named in the AD approves it.
EASA also approves AMOCs to its ADs. Its AD page states that an AMOC must provide a level of safety equivalent to that intended by the AD, and that AMOC approvals are not public documents. You get a copy from the approval holder.
For tracking, record the AMOC reference, who holds the approval, which aircraft or components it covers, and any new interval or limit it sets. Check that the approval covers your aircraft or component before you use it.
Where to get ADs
- EASA: ADs, PADs, Safety Directives and Safety Information Bulletins are published in the EASA Safety Publications Tool, with filters and free notifications. As of November 2026, the tool shows a maintenance notice and EASA provides an interim solution for new publications.
- Foreign ADs in Europe: for products designed outside the EU, EASA adopts the State of Design ADs. Under ED Decision 2019/018/ED, each foreign State of Design AD is directly applicable in the EASA Member States on its effective date, unless EASA decides otherwise.
- FAA: ADs are published in the Federal Register and in the FAA Dynamic Regulatory System (DRS), which holds emergency ADs, final rule ADs and AD NPRMs. The FAA Airworthiness Directives page offers email delivery of new ADs by aircraft make and type.
- Manufacturers: SBs come from the type certificate holder, engine and component manufacturers and STC holders.
The AD status record required by EASA and the FAA
EASA, M.A.305(c)(1): the aircraft continuing airworthiness records must include the current status of "ADs and measures mandated by the competent authority in immediate reaction to a safety problem". M.A.305(e)(2)(i) requires the CRS and detailed maintenance records that show AD compliance, for a period of not less than 36 months, until superseded by equivalent information. AMC M.A.305(c)1 explains what the status should contain:
- The product or component, the applicable ADs with revision or amendment numbers, and the date the status was updated. Superseded or cancelled ADs need not be listed.
- ADs that apply to the type but not to a specific aircraft or component, with the reason why they do not apply.
- The release to service date and, for ADs controlled by hours, cycles or landings, the life at accomplishment and the due limit.
- For repetitive ADs, the last and the next application.
- The method of compliance, and which part of a multi-part AD was accomplished.
FAA, 91.417(a)(2)(v): owners and operators must keep "the current status of applicable airworthiness directives (AD) including, for each, the method of compliance, the AD number and revision date. If the AD involves recurring action, the time and date when the next action is required." Under 91.417(b)(2), these records are kept and transferred with the aircraft when it is sold. Part 121 certificate holders have an equivalent requirement in 121.380(a)(2)(vi). AC 39-7D adds that the revision date is the effective date of the latest amendment to the AD.
Applicability: the hardest part
Most AD errors are applicability errors, not missed dates. An AD applicability statement can depend on:
- Type and model: aircraft, engine or propeller model, including variants.
- Serial number: a range of manufacturer serial numbers, or a list.
- Part number and serial number of a component: the AD follows the component, so a rotable moved between aircraft takes its AD status with it.
- Modification status: embodied or not embodied SBs, manufacturer modifications or STCs. AC 39-7D gives examples of ADs that apply only to aircraft modified by a listed STC.
If you do not know which components are installed, by part and serial number, and which SBs are embodied, you cannot prove that an AD does not apply.
Checklist for an AD and SB tracking process
- Monitor the EASA and FAA sources, and the foreign State of Design sources for your types, on a fixed schedule. Record who reviewed each new AD and when.
- Assess the applicability of each new AD against every aircraft and every installed or stocked component. Record "not applicable" with the reason.
- For each applicable AD, record the compliance time in every relevant parameter and calculate the due limit from real utilisation.
- Plan the work: create the task in the work package before the due limit, with the AD revision and the SB revision required.
- Execute and sign the task card, and keep the CRS and detailed records as evidence. See our guide on work orders and task cards.
- Update the AD status: method of compliance, date and life at accomplishment, next due for recurring ADs, and closure after a terminating action.
- Record AMOCs with their reference, scope and new limits.
- Re-assess open ADs when an AD is revised or superseded, when a component changes, or when an SB is embodied.
- Review the status before every aircraft transfer or lease return.
How software helps
A spreadsheet can list ADs, but it cannot reliably connect them to the configuration, the utilisation and the work done. Good AD and SB tracking software should:
- Filter applicability by type, serial number, part number and modification status, and keep the "not applicable" reason.
- Calculate due dates by date, hours and cycles, and show the first limit reached.
- Reset recurring intervals automatically from the last accomplishment, and close the AD when the terminating action is recorded.
- Link each AD to the work order and task card that complied with it, with the sign-offs and the CRS as evidence.
- Keep an audit trail of every status change: who changed it, when and why.
For a wider view of the selection criteria, read how to choose aircraft maintenance tracking software.
How SkyPlannerHub handles ADs and SBs
SkyPlannerHub is a cloud ERP for aviation. Its AD, SB and life-limited parts module tracks airworthiness directives and service bulletins by aircraft and by component, and controls life-limited parts by cycles and hours, with alerts before each due date or limit. The aircraft and components module keeps the life history, hours, cycles and airworthiness status of each aircraft and component. Line and base maintenance run on work orders and scheduled tasks with compliance tracking by aircraft and fleet.
Inventory keeps traceability of parts by serial number, batch and certificate. The platform keeps audit trails and role-based access control. Modules are enabled as you need them, and we adapt workflows to each organisation.
Frequently asked questions
Are service bulletins mandatory?
Not by themselves. An SB becomes mandatory when an AD requires it, and then you must use the SB revision that the AD names.
What is the difference between a recurring AD and a terminating action?
A recurring AD repeats an action at a fixed interval. A terminating action is a modification or replacement, defined in the AD, that ends those repetitive requirements.
Do I need to record ADs that do not apply?
Under EASA AMC M.A.305(c)1, an AD that applies to the type but not to your specific aircraft or component should be shown as not applicable, with the reason.
How long must AD compliance records be kept?
Under EASA M.A.305(e), the detailed records that show AD compliance are kept until superseded by equivalent information, and for not less than 36 months. Under FAA 91.417(b)(2), the AD status is kept and transferred with the aircraft when it is sold.
Conclusion
AD and SB tracking is a configuration problem as much as a calendar problem. Get the applicability right, record the method of compliance and the evidence, and keep the status current after every change. If you want to see how SkyPlannerHub tracks ADs and SBs with your own fleet data, talk to our team.