FAA Approves Napping in Airplane Cargo: Pilot Rest Gets Weird
Published Date: 4/20/2026
Rule
Summary
The FAA is setting new safety rules for Airworthy Inc.'s upgrade to Airbus A330-300 planes by adding a crew rest area inside the cargo space. This change means the planes get a cool new feature but need extra safety checks since the old rules don’t cover it. These rules kick in April 20, 2026, and could affect airlines’ upgrade plans and costs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Applies Only to Airworthy's STC
These special conditions take effect April 20, 2026 and apply initially to Airworthy Inc.'s supplemental type certificate application to install a crew rest compartment on Airbus A330-300 series airplanes. If Airworthy later applies to modify other models on Type Certificate No. A46NM with the same crew rest feature, these same special conditions will apply to those models as well.
Crew Rest Occupancy and Use Limits
If you are a crewmember using the installed crew rest compartment, occupancy is limited to a maximum of four people (two berths and two seats) and is restricted to trained crew only. The compartment may only be occupied in flight (not during taxi, takeoff, or landing), smoking and hazardous cargo are prohibited, and stowage is limited to emergency equipment, airplane-supplied items, and crew personal luggage.
Required Emergency Systems and Alarms
Crew rest compartments must have smoke detection that notifies the flight deck within one minute of a fire, an aural and visual warning inside the compartment, and aural warning in the seating area. Portable oxygen must warn occupants before cabin pressure altitude exceeds 15,000 feet and the aural warning must sound continuously for at least five minutes or until reset; communications, emergency lighting independent of main power, and alarm power that lasts at least ten minutes after engine/APU shutdown are also required.
Stowage, Fire-Protection, and Cargo Limits
When a crew rest module is installed, cargo and passenger baggage are not allowed in the crew rest compartment and enclosed stowage compartments have specific fire-protection rules based on interior volume: <25 ft^3, 25–57 ft^3, and 57–200 ft^3 each have different detector, liner, and locating-device requirements. Enclosed stowage compartments greater than 200 ft^3 are not addressed by these special conditions and walls/interfaces must meet Sec. 25.855 when the module forms part of the cargo boundary.
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