Definition
The portion of a runway, beyond the threshold, where landing aircraft are intended to make first contact with the runway surface. This is the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) standard definition used in international aviation operations.
Plain English
The part of the runway, just past the start, where pilots are supposed to land their wheels. It's the target area for touchdown.
Context Anchor
You will see this term in runway, landing, airport, and procedure discussions, especially when describing where an aircraft should first contact the runway.
Derivation
ICAO stands for International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations body that sets worldwide aviation standards. The [ICAO] tag means this is the internationally agreed wording, which may differ slightly from the FAA's domestic definition.
Why Pilots Care
Landing inside this zone leaves enough runway length to stop safely and meets standard performance calculations.
Intuition Check
Do not read “touchdown zone” as the exact point where the wheels touch. In this ICAO use, it means the runway area where the first contact is intended to occur.
Example Sentence 1
On final approach, the captain aimed to plant the mains firmly in the touchdown zone rather than float down the runway.
Example Sentence 2
Runway stripes clearly mark the start of the touchdown zone for accurate landing judgment.