GM29 Annex I Definitions

CAA ORS9 Decision No. 47

Text in magenta in force from 30 October 2025

FUEL OR ENERGY

The energy used for aircraft propulsion comes from various sources and is of various types.

A frequently used type of energy in aviation is derived from processing (in a piston or turbine engine) hydrocarbon-based fuels that include gasoline (leaded or unleaded), diesel, avgas, JET A-1, and JET B. Hydrogen may also be used as fuel for fuel cell applications, which generate electricity that is used to generate propulsion. However, as current technologies already use other sources of energy for aircraft propulsion, such as stored electrical energy, the typical term ‘fuel’ has become restrictive and no longer covers emerging technologies.

Therefore, a broader, combined term is introduced to accommodate new types of energy, other than fuel, used for aircraft propulsion purposes.

The term ‘fuel or energy’ should cater for both typical fuel and any other type or source of energy used for aircraft propulsion, including but not limited to electrical energy stored in batteries.

When used in the combination ‘fuel or energy’, the term ‘energy’ only refers to the electrical energy used for aircraft propulsion purposes. It does not include any other form of stored electrical energy that is used on board an aircraft (e.g. batteries of EFBs, ELTs, underwater locating devices (ULDs), automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), or backup energy sources).