[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 14, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 37013-37015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-14974]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2021-0582; Special Conditions No. FAA-2021-0582-F]


Special Conditions: Archeion Holdings, LLC, Boeing Model No. 777-
200/-200LR/-300/-300ER 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 the Boeing Model 777-
200/-200LR/-300/-300ER 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 July 14, 2021. Send 
comments on or before August 30, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2021-0582 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: Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as 
described in the following paragraph, and other information as 
described in 14 CFR 11.35, the FAA will post all comments received 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal 
information you provide. The FAA will also post a report summarizing 
each substantive verbal contact received about this proposal.
    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 this Notice contain 
commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as 
private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or 
responsive to this Notice, 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 this Notice. Submissions 
containing CBI should be sent to Varun Khanna, Airplane and Flight Crew 
Interface Section, AIR-622, Aircraft Information Systems, Technical 
Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation Division, Aircraft 
Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 2200 South 
216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198; telephone and fax 206-231-
3159; email [email protected]. Comments the FAA receives, which are 
not specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket 
for this rulemaking.
    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-622, Aircraft Information Systems, Technical 
Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation Division, Aircraft 
Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 2200 South 
216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198;

[[Page 37014]]

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 prior public notice and comment 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 July 14, 2020, Archeion applied for a change to Type Certificate 
No. T00001SE for the installation of an Avionica avWIFI system with 
wireless network and hosted application functionality in Boeing Model 
777-200/-200LR/-300/-300ER series airplanes. These airplanes, currently 
approved under Type Certificate No. T00001SE, are twin-engine, 
transport category airplanes, with a maximum takeoff weight between 
535,000 lbs and 775,000 lbs pounds, and a maximum passenger capacity of 
550 persons.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR) 21.101, Archeion must show that the Boeing Model 777-200/-200LR/-
300/-300ER series airplanes, as changed, continue to meet the 
applicable provisions of the regulations listed in Type Certificate No. 
T00001SE 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 777-200/-200LR/-300/-
300ER 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 777-200/-200LR/-300/-300ER series 
airplanes 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 777-200/-200LR/-300/-300ER 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 777 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 the 
Boeing Model 777-200/-200LR/-300/-300ER series airplanes. Should 
Archeion apply at a later date for a supplemental type certificate to 
modify any other model included on Type Certificate No. T00001SE 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 features 
on one model series of airplanes. 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:

    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

[[Page 37015]]

conditions are issued as part of the type certification basis for 
Boeing Model 777-200/-200LR/-300/-300ER series airplanes, as modified 
by Archeion Holdings, LLC, for airplane electronic-system security 
protection from unauthorized external access.
    (a) 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.
    (b) 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.
    (c) 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 July 7, 2021.
Mary A. Schooley,
Acting Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and 
Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-14974 Filed 7-13-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P