Rule2026-16129
Special Conditions: ATR-GIE Avions de Transport Régional Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A Airplanes; Electronic System Security Protection From Unauthorized Internal Access
Primary source
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Published
August 7, 2026
Effective
August 7, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
These special conditions are issued for the ATR-GIE Avions de Transport R[eacute]gional (ATR) Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. This design feature is the installation of a digital system that contains a wireless and hardwired network with hosted application functionality that allows access, from sources internal to the airplane, to the airplane's internal electronic components. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 151 (Friday, August 7, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 151 (Friday, August 7, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 51063-51064]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-16129]
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Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
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Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 151 / Friday, August 7, 2026 / Rules
and Regulations
[[Page 51063]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2026-8086; Special Conditions No. 25-896-SC]
Special Conditions: ATR-GIE Avions de Transport R[eacute]gional
Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A Airplanes; Electronic System Security
Protection From Unauthorized Internal Access
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the ATR-GIE Avions de
Transport R[eacute]gional (ATR) Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A
airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature
when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the
airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. This design
feature is the installation of a digital system that contains a
wireless and hardwired network with hosted application functionality
that allows access, from sources internal to the airplane, to the
airplane's internal electronic components. The applicable airworthiness
regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for
this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional
safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to
establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the
existing airworthiness standards.
DATES: This action is effective on ATR on August 7, 2026. Send comments
on or before September 21, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2026-8086 using
any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> and
follow the online instructions for sending your comments
electronically.
<bullet> Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30, U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room
W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
<bullet> Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
<bullet> Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> at any time. Follow the online instructions for
accessing the docket or go to Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the
West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thuan T. Nguyen, Avionics Software and
Components Unit, AIR-626D, Technical Policy Branch, Policy and
Standards Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation
Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198;
telephone and fax (206) 231-3365; email; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d084b8a5b1befe84fe9eb7a5a9b5be90b6b1b1feb7bfa6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2f7b475a4e41017b0161485a564a416f494e4e01484059">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The substance of these special conditions
has been published in the Federal Register for public comment in
several prior instances with no substantive comments received.
Therefore, the FAA finds, pursuant to 14 CFR 11.38(b), that new
comments are unlikely, and notice and comment prior to this publication
are unnecessary.
Privacy
Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in
the following paragraph, and other information as described in title
14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 11.35, the FAA will post all
comments received without change to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, including any
personal information you provide. The FAA will also post a report
summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about these
special conditions.
Confidential Business Information
Confidential Business Information (CBI) is commercial or financial
information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by
its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552),
CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to
these special conditions contain commercial or financial information
that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as
private, and that is relevant or responsive to these special
conditions, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing
CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as
confidential under the FOIA, and the indicated comments will not be
placed in the public docket of these special conditions. Send
submissions containing CBI to the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section above. Comments the FAA receives, which are
not specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket
for these special conditions.
Comments Invited
The FAA invites interested people to take part in this rulemaking
by sending written comments, data, or views. The most helpful comments
reference a specific portion of the special conditions, explain the
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data.
The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date for
comments. The FAA may change these special conditions based on the
comments received.
Background
On April 17, 2026, ATR applied for a change to Type Certificate
A53EU for the installation of a digital system that contains a wireless
and hardwired network with hosted application functionality that allows
access, from sources internal to the airplane, to the airplane's
internal electronic components in the ATR Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-
212A airplanes. These airplanes, approved under Type Certificate No.
A53EU are twin engine transport category airplanes. The ATR Model
ATR42-500 has a maximum passenger capacity of 42 passengers, and
[[Page 51064]]
a maximum takeoff weight of 41,000 pounds. The ATR Model ATR72-21A has
a maximum passenger capacity of 72 passengers, and a maximum takeoff
weight of 48,501 pounds.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) 21.101, ATR must show that changes to the ATR Model ATR42-500 and
ATR72-212A airplanes continue to meet the applicable provisions of the
regulations listed in Type Certificate No. A53EU or the applicable
regulations in effect on the date of application for the change, except
for earlier amendments as agreed upon by the FAA.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness
regulations (e.g., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for the ATR Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A
airplanes because of a novel or unusual design feature, special
conditions are prescribed under the provisions of Sec. 21.16.
Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which
they are issued. Should the type certificate for that model be amended
later to include any other model that incorporates the same novel or
unusual design feature, or should any other model already included on
the same type certificate be modified to incorporate the same novel or
unusual design feature, these special conditions would also apply to
the other model under Sec. 21.101.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special
conditions, the ATR Model 42-500 and ATR72-212A airplanes must comply
with the exhaust-emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34, and the
noise-certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36.
The FAA issues special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in
accordance with Sec. 11.38, and they become part of the type
certification basis under Sec. 21.101.
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The ATR Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A airplanes will incorporate
the following novel or unusual design feature:
The installation of a digital system that contains a wireless and
hardwired network with hosted application functionality that allows
access, from sources internal to the airplane, to the airplane's
internal electronic components.
Discussion
The ATR Model ATR72-212A and ATR42-500 airplanes electronic system
architecture and network configuration change is novel or unusual for
commercial transport airplanes because it is composed of several
connected wireless and hardwired networks. This proposed system and
network architecture is used for a diverse set of airplane functions,
including:
<bullet> flight-safety related control and navigation systems,
<bullet> airline business and administrative support, and
<bullet> passenger entertainment.
The airplane's control domain and airline information services
domain of these networks perform functions required for the safe
operation and maintenance of the airplane. Previously, these domains
had very limited connectivity with other network sources. This network
architecture creates a potential for unauthorized persons to access the
aircraft control domain and airline information services domain from
sources internal to the airplane, and presents security vulnerabilities
related to the introduction of computer viruses and worms, user errors,
and intentional sabotage of airplane electronic assets (networks,
systems, and databases) critical to the safety and maintenance of the
airplane.
The existing FAA regulations did not anticipate these networked
airplane-system architectures. Furthermore, these regulations and the
current guidance material do not address potential security
vulnerabilities, which could be exploited by unauthorized access to
airplane networks, data buses, and servers. Therefore, these special
conditions ensure that the security (i.e., confidentiality, integrity,
and availability) of airplane systems will not be compromised by
unauthorized hardwired or wireless electronic connections from within
the airplane. These special conditions also require the applicant to
provide appropriate instructions to the operator to maintain all
electronic-system safeguards that have been implemented as part of the
original network design so that this feature does not allow or
reintroduce security threats.
These special conditions contain the additional safety standards
that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of
safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness
standards.
Applicability
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the
ATR Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A airplanes. Should ATR apply at a
later date for a change to the type certificate to include another
model incorporating the same novel or unusual design feature, these
special conditions would apply to that model as well.
Conclusion
This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature
on the ATR Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A airplanes. It is not a rule
of general applicability.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25
Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
Authority Citation
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 40113, 44701, 44702, and 44704.
The Special Conditions
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the following special conditions are issued as part of
the type certification basis for ATR Model ATR42-500 and ATR72-212A
airplanes.
1. The applicant must ensure that the design provides isolation
from, or airplane electronic-system security protection against, access
by unauthorized sources internal to the airplane. The design must
prevent inadvertent and malicious changes to, and all adverse impacts
upon, airplane equipment, systems, networks, and other assets required
for safe flight and operations.
2. The applicant must establish appropriate procedures to allow the
operator to ensure that continued airworthiness of the airplane is
maintained, including all post-type-certification modifications that
may have an impact on the approved electronic system security
safeguards.
Issued in in Des Moines, WA, on August 4, 2026.
Paul R. Siegmund,
Manager, Technical Policy Branch, Policy and Standards Division,
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-16129 Filed 8-6-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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