Definition
The length of runway declared available and suitable for the ground run of an aircraft landing. It begins at the threshold and ends at the far end of the runway or at any displaced end-of-landing point published for that runway.
Plain English
How much runway you actually have to land on and roll out, measured from where you are allowed to touch down to the end of the usable pavement.
Context Anchor
Seen in airport and runway information, declared distance data, and instrument procedure planning.
Why Pilots Care
It determines whether the runway is long enough for your aircraft to land safely under current conditions.
Grounding Statement
If part of the pavement is not available for landing, the landing distance available starts where landing use officially begins, not necessarily where the pavement begins.
Intuition Check
Do not assume landing distance available means the entire paved runway. It means the runway length officially available for landing use.
Example Sentence 1
Before descending, the crew checked the LDA for Runway 27 and confirmed it exceeded the landing distance required for their weight and conditions.
Example Sentence 2
With only 3500 feet of landing distance available, the crew elected to divert to a longer runway.