Definition
In NOTAMs and aeronautical publications, 'commissioned' indicates that a navigational aid, runway, light system, or other facility has been officially placed into operational service and is approved for use by pilots.
Plain English
The facility or equipment is now officially turned on and approved for pilots to use.
Context Anchor
Seen in NOTAMs and other FAA notice text when a facility or system has newly entered service.
Derivation
From Latin 'committere', meaning 'to entrust' or 'put into charge of someone'. In aviation use, it carries the sense of formally entrusting a piece of equipment to operational service — it has been checked, approved, and handed over for pilots to rely on.
Why Pilots Care
A commissioned facility is safe and legal to use; an uncommissioned one may lack services, lighting, or procedures.
Intuition Check
Do not read commissioned here as meaning an officer was appointed or a product was specially ordered. In this context, it means an aviation facility or system has been officially placed into service.
Example Sentence 1
The NOTAM stated that the new ILS on Runway 27 was CMSND as of 0900Z, so we briefed it for the approach.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots checked the status and confirmed the runway was commissioned before planning the night arrival.