[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 182 (Wednesday, September 21, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 57571-57573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20392]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2022-1198; Special Conditions No. 25-831-SC]


Special Conditions: L2 Consulting Services, Inc., Bombardier 
Model CL-600-2B16 (604 Variant) Airplane; Electronic System Security 
Protection From Unauthorized Internal Access

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Bombardier Model 
CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplane. This airplane, as modified by L2 
Consulting Services, Inc., 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 associated with 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.

[[Page 57572]]


DATES: This action is effective on L2 Consulting Services, Inc., on 
September 21, 2022. Send comments on or before November 7, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2022-1198 using 
any of the following methods:
     Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to https://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 title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), Sec.  
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received without change to 
https://www.regulations.gov/, 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 
Thuan T. Nguyen, Aircraft Information Systems, AIR-622, Technical 
Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation Division, Aircraft 
Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 2200 South 
216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198; telephone; 206-231-3365; 
email [email protected]. Comments the FAA receives, which are not 
specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket for 
these special conditions.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
https://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: Thuan T. Nguyen, Aircraft Information 
Systems, AIR-622, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and 
Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198; 
telephone; 206-231-3365; 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 17th, 2022, L2 Consulting Services, Inc., applied for a 
supplemental type certificate 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. The 
Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplane is a twin-engine 
business jet with a maximum takeoff weight of 47,600 pounds (21,591 Kg) 
and a maximum seating capacity of twenty passengers and two crew 
members.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR), Sec.  21.101, L2 Consulting Services Inc., must show that the 
Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplane, as changed, 
continues to meet the applicable provisions of the regulations listed 
in Type Certificate No. A21EA, 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 Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 
variant) airplane, 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 Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) 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 Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplane will 
incorporate the following novel or unusual design feature, which 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.

Discussion

    The Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplane 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

[[Page 57573]]

architecture is used for a diverse set of airplane functions, 
including:
     flight-safety related control and navigation systems,
     airline business and administrative support, and
     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 
Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplane. Should L2 
Consulting Services, Inc., apply at a later date for a supplemental 
type certificate to modify any other model included on Type Certificate 
No. A21EA 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 the Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplane. It is not a 
rule of general applicability and affects only the applicant who 
applied to the FAA for approval of this feature on the airplane.

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 conditions are issued as part of 
the type certification basis for the Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 
variant) airplane for airplane electronic-system internal access.
    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 Kansas City, Missouri, on September 15, 2022.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch Policy and Innovation 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-20392 Filed 9-20-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P