GMGuidance material
GM1 Article 3Definitions
TERMS USED IN THE ACCEPTABLE MEANS OF COMPLIANCE AND GUIDANCE MATERIAL For the purpose of the AMC and GM to Regulation (EU) 2025/20, the following definitions apply:
| Cabin baggage | Baggage in the custody of a passenger or crew member that is intended for carriage in the cabin of an aircraft; equivalent terms are ‘carry-on baggage’, ‘hand baggage’ and ‘unchecked baggage’. |
|---|---|
| Checked baggage | Passenger baggage that has been taken into custody by the aircraft operator, intended for carriage in the cargo compartment(s) of an aircraft, for which a baggage claim check has been issued to the passenger; this includes cabin baggage that has been taken from a passenger and loaded into the cargo compartment (e.g. due to physical size/weight restrictions or lack of cabin stowage space); equivalent terms are ‘hold baggage’, ‘hold luggage’ and ‘registered baggage’. |
| Company material | Aircraft operator material carried on an operator’s aircraft for the operator’s own purposes. |
| Correction | The action of eliminating a non-compliance. |
| Corrective action | The action of eliminating or mitigating the root cause(s) and preventing the recurrence of existing detected noncompliance or of any other undesirable condition or situation. Proper determination of the root cause(s) is crucial for defining effective corrective action to prevent recurrence. |
| Ground handling service provider (GHSP) | Synonym for ‘ground handling (GH) organisation’. The two terms are interchangeable. |
| Holdover time | The period of time during which an antiicing fluid provides protection against frozen contamination to the treated aircraft surfaces. It depends, among other variables, on the type and intensity of precipitation, OAT, wind, the particular fluid (or fluid type) and aircraft design and aircraft configuration during the treatment. |
| Mass and balance documentation | In addition to the definition in Article 3 (definition (31): Since aircraft operators may use different names for the various documents containing mass and balance calculations and data, the more generic term ‘mass and balance documentation’ is used throughout Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/20. This ensures alignment with Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 regarding mass and balance calculations and related documentation. |
| Mishandled baggage | Baggage involuntarily, or inadvertently, separated from passengers or crew. |
| Near miss | An event in which an occurrence to be mandatorily reported in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 was narrowly averted or avoided. |
| Overpack | An enclosure used by a single shipper to contain one or more packages and to form one handling unit for convenience of handling and stowage. |
| Oversight planning cycle | The time frame within which the content of the declaration of a GH organisation and the processes that are identified through a safety risk assessment should be reviewed by the competent authority by means of audits and inspections. |
| Oversight programme | The detailed oversight schedule that sets out the number of audits and other activities — including the scope and duration of each activity and the details of product audits and locations, as appropriate — to be performed by the competent authority, with a tentative time frame for performing each activity. |
| Package | The complete product of a packing operation, consisting of the packaging and its contents prepared for transport. |
| Packaging | Receptacles and any other components or materials necessary for the receptacles to perform their containment function. |
| Preventive action | The action taken to eliminate the cause of potential non-compliance or of any other undesirable potential situation. |
| Station | An aerodrome where a GH organisation provides services. |
| Unaccompanied baggage | Baggage that is transported as cargo and that may or may not be carried on the same aircraft as the person to whom it belongs. |
GM · GM1 Article 3 — Regulations (EU) 2025/23 and 2025/24 · ED Decision 2025/007/R · Ground Handling Easy Access Rules · EAR revision 5 Nov 2025