[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 206 (Friday, October 23, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 67433-67435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22356]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0934; Special Conditions No. 25-775-SC]


Special Conditions: Archeion Holdings, LLC, Boeing Model No. 737-
300, -400, -700, -800, -8, and -9 Series Airplanes; Electronic-System 
Security Protection From Unauthorized External 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 Boeing Model 737-300, 
-400, -700, -800, -8, and -9 series airplanes. These airplanes, as 
modified by Archeion Holdings, LLC (Archeion), 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 a digital systems architecture for 
the installation of a system with wireless network and hosted 
application functionality that allows access from external sources 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 Archeion on October 23, 2020. Send 
comments on or before December 7, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2020-0934 using 
any of the following methods:
     Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/ and follow the online instructions for sending 
your comments electronically.
     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.
     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.
     Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
    Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without 
change, to http://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal 
information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the 
docket website, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all 
comments received into any FAA docket, including the name of the 
individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an 
association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act 
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11, 
2000 (65 FR 19477-19478).
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
http://www.regulations.gov/ 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: Varun Khanna, Airplane and Flight Crew 
Interface Section, AIR-671, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and 
Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198;

[[Page 67434]]

telephone and fax 206-231-3159; email [email protected].

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.

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 March 25, 2020, Archeion applied for a change to Type 
Certificate No. A16WE for the installation of an Avionica avWiFi system 
with wireless network and hosted application functionality in Boeing 
Model 737-300, -400, -700, -800, -8, and -9 series airplanes. These 
airplanes, which are currently approved under Type Certificate No. 
A16WE, are twin-engine, transport-category airplanes, with a maximum 
takeoff weight between 138,500 and 194,690 pounds, and a maximum 
passenger capacity of 220 passengers.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR) 21.101, Archeion must show that the Boeing Model 737-300, -400, -
700, -800, -8, and -9 series airplanes, as changed, continue to meet 
the applicable provisions of the regulations listed in Type Certificate 
No. A16WE, 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 Boeing Model 737-300, -400, -700, 
-800, -8, and -9 series 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 applicant apply for a supplemental type 
certificate to modify any other model included on the same type 
certificate 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 Boeing Model 737 series airplane must comply with the 
fuel-vent and 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 Feature

    The Boeing Model 737-300, -400, -700, -800, -8, and -9 series 
airplanes will incorporate the following novel or unusual design 
feature:
    A digital systems architecture for the installation of a system 
with wireless network and hosted application functionality that allows 
access from external sources to the airplane's internal electronic 
components.

Discussion

    The digital systems architecture for the installation of an 
Avionica avWiFi system with wireless network and hosted application 
functionality on these Boeing model 737 airplanes is a novel or unusual 
design feature for transport-category airplanes because it is composed 
of several connected networks. This proposed network architecture is 
used for a diverse set of airplane functions, including:
     Flight-safety related control and navigation systems
     airline business and administrative support
     passenger entertainment, and
     access by systems external to the airplane.
    The airplane-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 external network sources. This network architecture 
creates a potential for unauthorized persons to access the airplane-
control domain and airline information-services domain from sources 
external 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 wired or wireless electronic connections. This includes 
ensuring that the security of the airplane's systems is not compromised 
during maintenance of the airplane's electronic systems. 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 
Boeing Model 737-300, -400, -700, -800, -8, and -9 series airplanes as 
modified by Archeion. Should Archeion apply at a later date for a 
supplemental type certificate to modify any other model included on 
Type Certificate No. A16WE to incorporate 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 Boeing Model 737-300, -400, -700, -800, -8, and -9 series airplanes 
as modified by Archeion. It is not a rule of general applicability and 
affects only the applicant.

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:


[[Page 67435]]


    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g), 40113, 44701, 44702, 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 Boeing Model 737-300, -400, -700, -
800, -8, and -9 series airplanes as modified by Archeion Holdings, LLC, 
for airplane electronic-system security protection from unauthorized 
external access.
    1. The applicant must ensure airplane electronic-system security 
protection from access by unauthorized sources external to the 
airplane, including those possibly caused by maintenance activity.
    2. The applicant must ensure that electronic-system security 
threats are identified and assessed, and that effective electronic-
system security protection strategies are implemented to protect the 
airplane from all adverse impacts on safety, functionality, and 
continued airworthiness.
    3. 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 Des Moines, Washington, on October 5, 2020.
James E. Wilborn,
Acting Manager, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and Innovation 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-22356 Filed 10-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P