New Stress Rules for Airbus Canada Jets
Published Date: 3/11/2025
Rule
Summary
The FAA is updating safety rules for all Airbus Canada BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 airplanes after finding new info about how the planes handle stress during flight. Starting April 15, 2025, operators must use a new repair manual version and check past repairs to keep planes safe. This change helps prevent potential problems but might mean some extra work and costs for airlines.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Airline operators must review past structural repairs
If you operate Airbus Canada Model BD-500-1A10 or BD-500-1A11 airplanes, you must identify and review all existing repairs and damage assessments that were done before the AD becomes effective on April 15, 2025. The rule refers you to Transport Canada AD CF-2023-37R1 for the required review and disposition steps and uses a 24-month compliance interval for completing the identification and submission process as discussed in the rulemaking record.
Restrictions on older repair data for new repairs
You may not use certain older repair data to create new repair dispositions: the AD prohibits using Aircraft Structural Repair Procedures (ASRP) versions prior to 136.01 for new structural repairs, and it adopts Transport Canada’s restriction that ACLP repair engineering orders (REOs) issued before January 1, 2023 are not authorized as source data for new repair dispositions. These requirements take effect with this AD on April 15, 2025.
Estimated U.S. operator compliance cost
The FAA estimates this AD affects 45 U.S.-registered airplanes and that the basic required action will take about 2 work-hours per airplane at $85 per hour, for an estimated labor cost of $170 per airplane and $7,650 total for U.S. operators. The FAA also states there are unspecified "on-condition" costs for additional actions and that some costs may be covered under warranty.
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