[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 12 (Thursday, January 18, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3333-3335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00842]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2023-2424; Special Conditions No. 25-846-SC]


Special Conditions: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GVIII-
G700 and GVIII-G800 Series Airplanes; Electronic System Security 
Protection From Unauthorized Internal Access

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

[[Page 3334]]


ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Gulfstream 
Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 
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 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.

DATES: This action is effective on Gulfstream on January 18, 2024. Send 
comments on or before March 4, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2023-2424 using 
any of the following methods:
     Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to 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.
     Docket: Background documents or comments received may be 
read at 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, Avionics Software and 
Components Unit, AIR-626D, Technical Policy Branch, 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 14 CFR 11.38(b), that new 
comments are unlikely, and notice and comment prior to this publication 
are unnecessary.

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 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 the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section above. Comments the FAA receives, which are 
not specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket 
for these special conditions.

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, and will consider comments filed late if it is possible to do 
so without incurring delay. The FAA may change these special conditions 
based on the comments received.

Background

    On December 31, 2019, Gulfstream applied for an amendment to Type 
Certificate No. T00015AT to include the new Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-
G800 series airplanes These airplanes, which are derivatives of the 
Model GVI currently approved under Type Certificate No. T00015AT, are 
twin-engine, transport-category airplanes, with a maximum seating for 
19 passengers, and a maximum take-off weight of 107,600 pounds (GVIII-
G700) and 105,600 pounds (GVIII-G800).

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR) 21.101, Gulfstream must show that the Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-
G800 series airplanes meet the applicable provisions of the regulations 
listed in Type Certificate No. T00015AT, 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 Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and 
GVIII-G800 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 Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series 
airplanes must comply with the 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

[[Page 3335]]

with Sec.  11.38, and they become part of the type certification basis 
under Sec.  21.101.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes 
will incorporate the following novel or unusual design feature:
    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 Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes 
electronic system architecture and network configuration change are 
novel or unusual for commercial transport airplanes because they are 
composed of several connected wireless and hardwired networks. This 
proposed system and network architecture are 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 airplanes' control domains 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 
airplanes' control 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 wireless or hardwired electronic connections from within 
the airplane. These special conditions also require the applicant to 
provide appropriate instruction 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 
Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes. Should 
Gulfstream apply at a later date for a change to the type certificate 
to include another 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 apply to the other model 
as well.

Conclusion

    This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature 
on one model on Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series of 
airplanes. 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, and 
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 Gulfstream Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-
G800 series airplanes 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, or 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 January 11, 2024.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-00842 Filed 1-17-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P