Definition
An industry standard, published by Airlines for America (formerly the Air Transport Association), that defines how aircraft maintenance and operations information is organized, formatted, and exchanged between manufacturers, airlines, and maintenance organizations. It establishes a common chapter-and-section numbering system used in maintenance manuals, parts catalogs, wiring diagrams, and other technical documentation across the aviation industry.
Plain English
A standard set of rules that says how aircraft technical manuals should be laid out and numbered, so that any mechanic or airline using documentation from any manufacturer can find information in the same place every time.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft maintenance manuals, manufacturer technical data, maintenance tracking systems, and references to ATA chapter organization.
Derivation
ATA stands for the Air Transport Association of America, the trade group that originally created this standard. 'iSpec' is short for 'Information Specification,' reflecting the move from paper-based standards to digital data formats. The number 2200 is simply the document identifier in the ATA's specification series.
Why Pilots Care
When you write up a discrepancy or read a maintenance log, the chapter numbers come from this standard. Knowing that Chapter 27 always means flight controls, Chapter 32 always means landing gear, and Chapter 73 always means engine fuel system makes it much faster to find information and communicate clearly with mechanics, regardless of aircraft type.
Analogy
It is like a filing system for aircraft maintenance information. If everyone uses the same filing system, the right information is easier to find and less likely to be misunderstood.
Intuition Check
ATA iSpec 2200 is not an aircraft part, inspection, or operating procedure. It is a standard for organizing aircraft technical information.
Example Sentence 1
The mechanic looked up the brake servicing procedure under ATA iSpec 2200 Chapter 32, the standard chapter for landing gear systems.
Example Sentence 2
When updating the component overhaul instructions, the engineer followed ATA iSpec 2200 rules to keep the data compatible with the airline's digital library.