Aviation Law, 5771-2011
חוק הטיס, תשע"א-2011
Published: 2011-04-13Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-08-02 · Last amended 2026-07-28✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-29
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Chapter III: Aircraft
Section A: Design and Manufacture of Aircraft and Aviation Equipment
Definition of Aircraft – Section A of Chapter III§
49.
In this Section, "aircraft" – includes an engine of an aircraft or a propeller thereof.
Determination of Standards for the Design and Manufacture of Aircraft and Aviation Equipment§
50.
(a)The Minister shall prescribe detailed and comprehensive standards relating to the design and manufacture of aircraft –
(1)with the aim of ensuring the airworthiness of an aircraft to be manufactured in accordance with that design, including in accordance with the provisions of Annex 8 to the Convention (in this Section – airworthiness standards);
(2)with the aim of ensuring that an aircraft to be manufactured on the basis of that design shall comply with the provisions relating to environmental protection in accordance with Annex 16 to the Convention (in this Section – environmental protection standards).
(b)The Minister shall prescribe detailed and comprehensive standards relating to the design and manufacture of aviation equipment, with the aim of ensuring that the aviation equipment is suitable for aeronautical use (in this Section – aeronautical suitability standards).
Type Certificate for Aircraft§
51.
(a)The Director shall grant to a designer of a Type of aircraft who so requests a type certificate defining the design of that type of aircraft, including the aviation equipment intended for installation therein, and approving the design for the purpose of manufacturing the aircraft and the aviation equipment in accordance therewith, provided that all of the following conditions are met:
(1)the aircraft and the aviation equipment comply with the airworthiness standards and the aeronautical suitability standards applicable to them; if the Director finds that the airworthiness standards are inappropriate or insufficient in respect of a particular Type of aircraft for the purpose of maintaining an adequate level of safety, the Director may direct that other or additional conditions be fulfilled in respect of the aircraft, with the aim of ensuring such a level of safety;
(2)the aircraft complies with the environmental protection standards applicable to it;
(3)the aircraft has no characteristic or feature that may cause harm to flight safety during its operation;
(4)additional conditions prescribed by the Minister for the grant of the certificate, including conditions relating to the design process, its stages and the supervision thereof, and obligations that the designer must fulfil during the design process.
(b)A supplement to a type certificate granted on account of a change in the type design that does not require a new type certificate shall be deemed a type certificate.
(c)The provisions of section 38(a)(1) to (4) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the restriction, suspension and revocation of a type certificate.
Manufacture of Aircraft and Aviation Equipment – Licence Requirement§
52.
(a)No person shall manufacture an aircraft for the purpose of marketing it unless that person holds a licence for that purpose granted under the provisions of this Section, and in accordance with the conditions of the licence and the provisions under this Law.
(b)No person shall manufacture aviation equipment or a part of an aircraft for the purpose of marketing it unless that person holds a licence to manufacture that aviation equipment or that part of the aircraft, granted under the provisions of this Section, or the manufacture is carried out within the framework of a licence to manufacture aircraft as referred to in subsection (a), all in accordance with the conditions of the licence and the provisions under this Law.
Manufacturing Licence§
53.
(a)The Director shall grant a manufacturing licence to an applicant in whom all of the following conditions are met:
(1)the licence applicant holds a type certificate or has the right to use such a certificate, and in respect of an aircraft exempt from a type certificate pursuant to section 54(6), or aviation equipment – the design of the aircraft or aviation equipment meets the airworthiness standards, the environmental protection standards and the aeronautical suitability standards applicable to it;
(2)the applicant has demonstrated to the Director's satisfaction that the applicant possesses appropriate facilities and equipment necessary for the manufacturing process, as required under section 54(5)(a);
(3)the applicant has demonstrated to the Director's satisfaction that the applicant is prepared to maintain a quality assurance and quality control system as required under section 54(5)(b), and that the applicant possesses updated professional literature for carrying out manufacturing processes, as required under section 54(5)(c).
(b)The Minister may prescribe provisions relating to the conditions for obtaining a licence as set out in subsection (a), and may prescribe additional conditions for obtaining such a licence.
(c)The Director shall set out in the licence, among other things, the following:
(1)the aircraft, the part of the aircraft or the aviation equipment approved for manufacture, as the case may be;
(2)the design according to which the aircraft, the part of the aircraft or the aviation equipment is to be manufactured, as the case may be, and the conditions for its manufacture.
(d)The provisions of section 38(a)(1) to (4) and (6) and section 38(f) and (g) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the restriction, suspension and revocation of a manufacturing licence.
Regulations Relating to Design and Manufacture§
54.
The Minister may prescribe provisions relating to the design and manufacture of aircraft and aviation equipment, including in the following matters:
(1)the procedures for obtaining a type certificate and a manufacturing licence under sections 51 and 53, including provisions regarding the manner of submitting an application for obtaining such a certificate or licence, the documents to be attached to such an application and the period of validity of an application for a type certificate;
(2)inspections and tests to be conducted for the purpose of obtaining a type certificate or within the framework of the manufacture of aircraft and aviation equipment;
(3)amendment of a type certificate or a manufacturing licence;
(4)the obligation of the holder of a type certificate to provide a response and solution to faults and damage caused to an aircraft due to design failures;
(5)obligations and conditions that shall apply to the holder of a manufacturing licence in relation to the manufacturing process and its stages, including –
(a)an obligation to hold and make use of, in the framework of activities under the licence, appropriate facilities and equipment necessary for the manufacturing process;
(b)an obligation to maintain a quality assurance and quality control system;
(c)an obligation to hold professional literature required for carrying out manufacturing processes, to update it and to distribute it to those concerned, and to act in accordance with such updated professional literature;
(d)an obligation to affix identification marks on aircraft, on parts of aircraft or on aviation equipment;
(e)an obligation to document the manufacturing process and to preserve the documentation;
(f)an obligation to report to the Director in relation to its activities;
(6)exemption from a manufacturing licence or from the conditions for obtaining the licence, in whole or in part;
(7)provisions relating to the appointment of representatives of the Director from among the employees of the designer or the holder of the manufacturing licence, for the purpose of supervision and control of the design and manufacturing process and its documentation, including their powers, the obligations imposed upon them and the approval of their recommendations by the Director.
Regulations Relating to the Import and Export of Aircraft or Aviation Equipment§
55.
The Minister may prescribe provisions relating to the import and export of aircraft, a part of an aircraft or aviation equipment, including conditions and restrictions on such import and export, all with the aim of ensuring the safety of the operation of aircraft.
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Contact Us →Section B: Registration and Marking of Aircraft
Obligation to Register Aircraft§
56.
(a)No person shall operate an aircraft unless the aircraft is registered in the Register and a valid registration certificate exists in respect of it; the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to a flight crew member on behalf of an aerial operator in commercial operation.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) –
(1)an aircraft that is eligible for registration in the Register and in respect of which an application for registration in the Register and for obtaining a registration certificate has been submitted, may be operated even before it has been registered, in accordance with provisions prescribed by the Minister for that purpose;
(2)an aircraft operated by a person engaged in the sale of aircraft, in the framework of that person's occupation, is not required to be registered under the provisions of subsection (a), subject to the conditions and provisions prescribed by the Minister for that purpose, including conditions aimed at ensuring a connection between a person engaged in the sale of aircraft as aforesaid and the State of Israel.
Nationality of Aircraft§
57.
(a)An aircraft registered in the Register shall be deemed to be an aircraft of Israeli nationality.
(b)An aircraft registered in the register of a foreign state shall be deemed to be an aircraft of the nationality of that state.
Eligibility Conditions for Registration in the Register§
58.
(a)The Minister shall prescribe, subject to the provisions of subsection (b), the eligibility conditions for the registration of an aircraft in the Register, with the aim of ensuring an adequate connection between the aircraft and the State of Israel and ensuring that the registration shall not cause harm to the security of the State or its foreign relations.
(b)An aircraft registered in the register of a foreign state is not eligible for registration in the Register.
The Register and Registration Certificates§
59.
(a)The Director is responsible for maintaining a register for the purpose of registering aircraft in Israel and for issuing registration certificates.
(b)The Register shall record, in respect of an aircraft, the details of its owners, charges (security interests) and attachments imposed on the aircraft, its nationality and registration marks, its manufacturing details and additional particulars, all as prescribed by the Minister.
(c)The Minister may prescribe provisions relating to registration in the Register and the management of the Register, relating to registration certificates, and relating to the obligations that shall apply to the holder of a registration certificate, including –
(1)the procedures for registering an aircraft in the Register and for obtaining a registration certificate, including provisions relating to the manner of submitting the application for registration and the date of registration;
(2)the procedures for registering charges (security interests) and attachments on an aircraft in the Register;
(3)the procedures for registering the transfer of ownership of an aircraft;
(4)the particulars to be included in a registration certificate and its period of validity;
(5)conditions and procedures for amending, suspending or deleting a registration, as well as for amending, suspending or revoking a registration certificate, and provisions relating to a registration that is no longer in force.
(d)Where the conditions for registering an aircraft under this Law are fulfilled, the Director shall register the aircraft in the Register and shall furnish the applicant with a registration certificate.
Effect of Registration§
60.
(a)Registration of an aircraft in the Register does not constitute proof of ownership thereof.
(b)Registration of an aircraft in the Register shall be conclusive evidence of the nationality of the aircraft for international purposes and prima facie evidence of the nationality of the aircraft in proceedings under the laws of the State of Israel.
Inspection of the Register and Disclosure of Information Therefrom§
61.
(a)The Register shall be open for public inspection in accordance with procedures directed by the Director.
(b)The Director may disclose information from the Register as follows:
(1)information regarding a particular aircraft registered in the Register – upon request from a member state or the International Aviation Organisation;
(2)reports regarding the ownership and control of aircraft registered in the Register and operated on international flights – upon request from the International Aviation Organisation and in accordance with its guidelines.
Obligation to Mark and Identify an Aircraft§
62.
(a)No person shall operate an aircraft unless the aircraft is marked with its nationality and registration marks, as prescribed by the Minister; in regulations made pursuant to this subsection, the Minister may prescribe, among other things, provisions relating to the manner of determining and allocating marks, methods of marking and marking particulars, temporary registration marks, marking of aircraft for manufacture and removal of markings.
(b)No person shall operate an aircraft unless identification marks are affixed to the aircraft as prescribed by the Minister pursuant to section 54(5)(d).
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Contact Us →Section C: Continuing Airworthiness
Certificate of Airworthiness§
63.
(a)No person shall operate an aircraft unless a valid certificate of airworthiness, granted under the provisions of this Section, exists in respect of that aircraft, and subject to the conditions in that certificate.
(b)The Director shall grant a certificate of airworthiness to an aerial operator who so requests, provided that all of the following conditions are met:
(1)the aircraft is registered in the Register;
(2)the aircraft meets the airworthiness standards and the environmental protection standards prescribed pursuant to section 50(a);
(3)a flight manual or other appropriate document exists in respect of the aircraft, specifying the operational limitations of the aircraft as well as any other information necessary for its safe operation, all as prescribed by the Minister;
(4)a maintenance manual or other appropriate document exists in respect of the aircraft, specifying the maintenance requirements of the aircraft, including inspection operations to be performed on it, as well as any other information required for the purpose of maintaining its continuing airworthiness, all as prescribed by the Minister;
(5)the Director has approved the body responsible on behalf of the aerial operator for carrying out inspection operations on the aircraft, from among those authorised to do so under section 23, in accordance with provisions prescribed by the Minister;
(6)the aircraft is found to be safe for flight, having regard, among other things, to the design according to which it was manufactured, its structure and the aviation equipment installed therein;
(7)additional conditions prescribed by the Minister for that purpose are met.
(c)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b), the Minister may prescribe special categories of certificates of airworthiness to be granted in circumstances and under conditions to be prescribed, even if not all the conditions for the grant of a certificate of airworthiness set out in that subsection are met in respect of the aircraft.
(d)The Minister may prescribe provisions relating to a certificate of airworthiness, including relating to the period of validity of such a certificate, the procedures for obtaining the certificate, including provisions regarding the manner of submitting the application for obtaining it, the documents to be attached to such an application and the inspections to be conducted on the aircraft for the purpose of examining its airworthiness, as well as relating to the particulars to be included in such a certificate, the manner of amending it, its transfer to another and its expiry.
(e)The provisions of section 38(a)(1) to (4) and (b) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the restriction, suspension, revocation and refusal to renew a certificate of airworthiness.
Noise Certificate§
64.
(a)No person shall operate an aircraft unless a valid noise certificate, granted pursuant to this section, exists in respect of the aircraft, certifying the noise rating of the aircraft in accordance with the provisions of Volume I of Annex 16 to the Convention (in this Section – the noise rating), and in accordance with the conditions of that certificate; the Minister may prescribe types of aircraft to which the provisions of this section shall not apply, in accordance with the provisions of the said Convention.
(b)The Director shall grant a noise certificate to an aerial operator who so requests, if the aircraft is registered in the Register, meets the environmental protection standards prescribed pursuant to section 50(a) that relate to noise standards, and fulfils additional conditions prescribed by the Minister.
(c)The provisions of section 38(a)(1) to (4) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the restriction, suspension and revocation of a noise certificate.
(d)The Minister, in consultation with the Minister for Environmental Protection, may prescribe provisions relating to the procedures for obtaining a noise certificate, including provisions regarding the manner of submitting the application for obtaining the certificate, the documents to be attached to such an application and the inspections to be conducted on the aircraft for the purpose of examining its compliance with the noise standards applicable to it, as well as relating to the particulars to be included in such a certificate and the manner of amending it.
Validation of a Certificate of Airworthiness or Noise Certificate Issued in a Member State§
65.
(a)Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 63 and 64, a person may operate an aircraft even if a certificate of airworthiness or a noise certificate has not been issued in respect of it, provided that an equivalent certificate to such a certificate, issued by the competent authority for that purpose in a member state, exists in respect of the aircraft, and provided that the certificate has been validated by the Director under this section and that the operation shall be carried out in accordance with the conditions of that certificate and the conditions of the validation.
(b)The Minister shall prescribe the conditions and the procedures for obtaining validation under subsection (a).
(c)A validation granted under this section shall be deemed, for the purposes of this Law and other aviation laws, to be a certificate of airworthiness or a noise certificate, as the case may be.
Prohibition on Operating Aircraft in Certain Noise Ratings§
66.
The Minister, in consultation with the Minister for Environmental Protection and with the approval of the Committee, may prescribe a prohibition on operating in the territory of Israel aircraft rated in noise ratings prescribed by the Minister, even if a noise certificate under section 64 or a validation under section 65 has been issued in respect of them.
Continuing Airworthiness§
67.
(a)Without derogating from the provisions of sections 63 and 65, no person shall operate an aircraft unless the aircraft –
(1)is in an airworthy condition;
(2)is operated in accordance with the operational limitations set out in the flight manual or in another appropriate document prescribed pursuant to section 63(b)(3), or in another document prescribed by the Minister for that purpose.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(1), the operation of an aircraft shall not be regarded as a breach of the provisions of that subsection solely because a malfunction impairing the airworthiness of the aircraft occurred after the commencement of its movement under engine power, and in the case of a non-powered aircraft – after its take-off, provided that at the time of commencement of its operation the aircraft was in an airworthy condition.
(c)An aerial operator shall not operate an aircraft except in accordance with the operational limitations set out in the maintenance manual or in another appropriate document prescribed pursuant to section 63(b)(4).
(d)The Minister may prescribe duties, restrictions and conditions that shall apply to an aerial operator for the purpose of ensuring the continuing airworthiness of the aircraft, including the duty to submit the aircraft for periodic inspection or audit inspection, duties and restrictions with respect to the return of an aircraft to service after the performance of maintenance operations, and reporting duties including with respect to malfunctions and damage caused to the aircraft.
Aviation Equipment and Additional Equipment Related to the Operation of an Aircraft§
68.
(a)No person shall operate an aircraft unless aviation equipment or other equipment related to the operation of the aircraft as prescribed by the Minister (in this section – equipment) is installed or carried on board, and such equipment is in working order, in accordance with the conditions prescribed by the Minister for that purpose.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), the operation of an aircraft shall not be regarded as a breach of the provisions of that subsection solely because a malfunction impairing the working order of the equipment occurred after the commencement of the movement of the aircraft under engine power, and in the case of a non-powered aircraft – after its take-off, provided that at the time of commencement of the operation of the aircraft the equipment was in working order in accordance with the provisions pursuant to that subsection.
(c)No person shall operate aviation equipment and no aerial operator shall permit any person to operate aviation equipment, unless that person is a crew member or a flight crew member authorised to do so, in accordance with conditions prescribed by the Minister.
Airworthiness Directives§
69.
(a)If the Director has reasonable grounds to believe that an aircraft as defined in section 49, or aviation equipment, is unsafe for use, and that a similar condition is liable to develop in other aircraft or aviation equipment manufactured on the basis of an identical or similar design, the Director may issue airworthiness directives with respect to such aircraft or aviation equipment, the purpose of which is to ensure the preservation of their airworthiness and the safety of their use.
(b)The Director shall transmit airworthiness directives issued pursuant to subsection (a) to every aerial operator making use of the aircraft or aviation equipment in respect of which they were issued; an aerial operator who receives such directives shall bring them to the knowledge of every flight crew member operating on its behalf the said aircraft or equipment, and also to the knowledge of the party responsible on its behalf for the performance of maintenance operations on the said aircraft as referred to in section 63(b)(5).
(c)An aerial operator and a flight crew member to whom airworthiness directives have been transmitted pursuant to this section shall not operate the aircraft or aviation equipment in respect of which the directives were issued except in accordance therewith.
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