A type certificate is issued to signify the airworthiness of an
aircraft manufacturing design.
The certificate is issued by a regulating body, and once issued, the
design cannot be changed.
The certificate reflects a determination made by the regulating body
that the aircraft is manufactured according to an approved design, and
that the design ensures compliance with airworthiness requirements.
The type certificate implies that aircraft manufactured according to
the approved design can be issued an Airworthiness Certificate.
Examples of regulatory authorities are the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA).