AIN Staff

Within Six Months


July 4, 2014:


Taws Equipage for Canadian Aircraft with Six or More Passenger Seats


Transport Canada (TC) announced on July 4, 2012, new regulations that would improve safety for small aircraft that fly into remote wilderness or mountainous areas where the danger of flying into terrain is highest. Under the new regulations, commercial operators will have to install a terrain awareness and warning system (Taws) in turbine-powered airplanes with six or more passenger seats. Operators will have two years from implementation to equip their airplanes with Taws. The regulations comply with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s standards and bring Canadian regulations close to those of other aviation authorities, including the U.S. and European Union. Canada’s TSB also recommended the wider use of Taws to help pilots assess their proximity to terrain. Operators will have five years to equip with an enhanced altitude accuracy function.


July 17, 2014:


Extended Comment Period for Drug and Alcohol Testing for Offshore Maintenance Facilities


This action extends the comment period for an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) that was published on March 17, 2014. In that document, the FAA sought input on its intent to amend its drug-and-alcohol testing requirements to require drug-and-alcohol testing of certain maintenance personnel outside the U.S. Airlines for America (A4A), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Deutsche Lufthansa have requested that the FAA extend the comment period closing date to allow adequate time for commenters to analyze the ANPRM and prepare comments. The agency said it is considering developing a rulemaking that would require employees of FAA-certified foreign repair stations and certain other maintenance providers who perform safety-sensitive work on U.S. airliners to be subject to a drug-and-alcohol testing program. Consistent with a congressional mandate for the rulemaking, the testing program would have to meet FAA standards and be consistent with the applicable laws of the country in which the repair station is located. Currently, the FAA’s drug-and-alcohol testing regulations do not extend to companies or individuals who perform safety-sensitive functions, including aircraft and preventive maintenance, outside the U.S. [Docket No. FAA-2012-1058]


Beyond 12 Months


Jan. 1, 2017:


European Union Tcas Version 7.1 Rule


The FAA has published an Information for Operators regarding an EU mandate that certain operators use the latest version 7.1 of the traffic alert and collision avoidance system (Tcas II) software. Although the ICAO does not require that version 7.1 software be installed for international flights in new and existing aircraft until Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 1, 2017, respectively, the EU mandated that all aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of more than 12,500 pounds or with an authorized capacity to carry 19 passengers have the upgrade installed by April 1 this year. However, aircraft with Tcas II version 7.0 that were certified before April 1 this year have an extended deadline of Dec. 1, 2015, to comply with the mandate. The FAA recommends that operators of aircraft with Tcas II installed and that plan on operating in EU airspace need to ensure that version 7.1 software is installed to comply with the EU implementing rule.

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