New regulations from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will require upgraded cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) and underwater locating devices (ULDs) to be installed starting next year. By June 16, 2018, ULDs must be capable of transmitting for at least 90 days instead of 30 days. By Jan. 1, 2019, airplanes with an mtow of at least 59,500 pounds with more than 19 passenger seats and performing transoceanic flights must be retrofitted with an additional long-range ULD with a “very long detection range.”

Also by Jan. 1, 2019, all CVRs with a 30-minute recording duration must be replaced by units with two-hour recording capability. Additionally, CVRs recording on magnetic tape must be replaced by solid-state units. Airplanes with a mtow of 59,500 pounds and manufactured after Jan.1, 2021 must be fitted with a CVR recording duration of no less than 25 hours and must be fitted with “robust and automatic means to accurately determine” the location of an accident.

Finally, starting on Dec. 16, 2018, operators of those large airplanes must have in place an aircraft tracking system for flights not tracked by ATC.