FAA Proposes Extra Checks for Airbus A350 Safety
Published Date: 3/21/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The FAA wants to update safety rules for certain Airbus A350 airplanes to keep them flying safely. They’re asking airlines to follow new, stricter maintenance checks based on European safety advice. Comments are open until May 5, 2025, and these changes might mean some extra work but help prevent problems down the line.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Airlines must revise A350 maintenance programs
If you operate Airbus A350-941 or -1041 airplanes with an original airworthiness certificate issued on or before August 1, 2024, you must revise your maintenance or inspection program to incorporate the new airworthiness limitations in EASA AD 2024-0189. The FAA estimates revising the program takes about 90 work-hours per operator and estimates the cost per operator as $7,650 for the new proposed actions (and separately estimates $7,650 for retained actions).
Rule applies to 34 U.S.-registered A350s
The FAA estimates this AD, if adopted as proposed, would affect 34 U.S.-registered Airbus A350 airplanes. The agency’s cost estimate reflects per-operator work to revise maintenance programs rather than a per-airplane cost.
Newer A350s (post-August 1, 2024) excluded
Airplanes with an original airworthiness certificate or original export certificate of airworthiness issued after August 1, 2024, are not included in this AD’s applicability and are not required to comply with the EASA AD incorporation in this proposed rule. For some older airplanes (original certificate on or before May 2, 2022), completing the specified revision can terminate earlier AD requirements.
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