[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 226 (Friday, November 25, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 72367-72369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25592]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2022-1282; Special Conditions No. 25-832-SC]


Special Conditions: Airbus SAS Model A380-800 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 Airbus SAS (Airbus) 
Model A380-800 series airplanes. These airplanes 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 with 
several connected networks that will allow access from external sources 
(e.g., operator networks, wireless devices, internet connectivity, 
service provider satellite communications, electronic flight bags, 
etc.) 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 Airbus on November 25, 2022. Send 
comments on or before January 9, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2022-1282 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) 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

[[Page 72368]]

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 and fax 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 and fax 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 Sec.  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 August 26, 2021, Airbus applied for a change to Type Certificate 
No. A58NM for the installation of a digital systems architecture that 
will allow increased connectivity to and access from external network 
sources, (e.g., operator networks, wireless devices, internet 
connectivity, service provider satelittle communications, electronic 
flight bags, etc.) to the airplane's previously isolated electronic 
assets (networks, systems, databases). The Model A380-800 series are 
transport category airplanes and are powered by four engines. The 
maximum passenger seating capacity is 868 and maximum takeoff weight is 
1,234,600 to 1,265,000 pounds, depending on the specific variant.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR) 21.101, Airbus must show that the Model A380-800 series airplane, 
as changed, continues to meet the applicable provisions of the 
regulations listed in Type Certificate No. A58NM 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 Airbus Model A380-800 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 type certificate for that model be amended 
later to include any other model that incorporates the same novel or 
unusual design feature, or should any other model already included on 
the same type certificate be modified 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 Airbus Model A380-800 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 Features

    The Airbus Model A380-800 series airplanes will incorporate the 
following novel or unusual design feature:
    The installation of electronic network system architecture that 
allows increased connectivity to and access from external sources 
(e.g., operator networks, wireless devices, internet connectivity, 
service provider satellite communications, electronic flight bags, 
etc.) to the airplane's previously isolated electronic assets 
(networks, systems and databases).

Discussion

    The Airbus Model A380-800 series airplane electronic system 
architecture and network configuration is novel and unusual for 
commercial transport airplanes because it may allow increased 
connectivity to and access from external network sources, airline 
operations, and maintenance networks, to the airplane control domain 
and airline information services domain. The airplane's control domain 
and airline information-services domain perform functions required for 
the safe operation and maintenance of the airplane. Previously, these 
domains had very limited connectivity with external network sources. 
This data network and design integration creates a potential for 
unauthorized persons to access the aircraft-control domain and airline 
information-services domain, 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 is not 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

[[Page 72369]]

feature does not allow or introduce 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 
Airbus Model A380-800 series airplanes. Should Airbus apply at a later 
date for a change to the type certificate to include another model 
incorporating 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 one model series of airplane. It is not a rule of general 
applicability.

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 Airbus Model A380-800 series 
airplanes for airplane electronic 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 airplane 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 aircraft 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 November 18, 2022.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-25592 Filed 11-23-22; 8:45 am]
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