[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 206 (Friday, October 23, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 67435-67436]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22357]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2020-0933; Special Conditions No. 25-774-SC]
Special Conditions: Archeion Holdings, LLC, Boeing Model No. 737-
300, -400, -700, -800, -8, and -9 Series Airplanes; Electronic-System
Security Protection From Unauthorized Internal 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 Boeing Model 737-300,
-400, -700, -800, -8, and -9 series airplanes. These airplanes, as
modified by Archeion Holdings, LLC (Archeion), 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 for
the installation of a system with wireless network and 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 Archeion on October 23, 2020. Send
comments on or before December 7, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2020-0933 using
any of the following methods:
Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to http://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: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without
change, to http://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal
information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the
docket website, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all
comments received into any FAA docket, including the name of the
individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an
association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11,
2000 (65 FR 19477-19478).
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at
http://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: Varun Khanna, Airplane and Flight Crew
Interface Section, AIR-671, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and
Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation
Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198;
telephone and fax 206-231-3159; 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 public 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 March 25, 2020, Archeion applied for a change to Type
Certificate No. A16WE for the installation of an Avionica avWIFI system
with wireless network and hosted application functionality in Boeing
Model 737-300, -400, -700, -800, -8, and -9 series airplanes. These
airplanes, currently approved under Type Certificate No. A16WE, are
twin-engine, transport category airplanes, with a maximum takeoff
weight between 138,500 and 194,690 pounds, and a maximum passenger
capacity of 220 persons.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) 21.101, Archeion must show that the Boeing Model 737-300, -400, -
700, -800, -8, and -9 series airplanes, as changed, continue to meet
the applicable provisions of the regulations listed in Type Certificate
No. A16WE or the applicable regulations in effect on the date of
application for the change,
[[Page 67436]]
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 Boeing Model 7737-300, -400, -700,
-800, -8, and -9 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 applicant apply for a supplemental type
certificate to modify any other model included on the same type
certificate 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 Boeing Model 737 series airplane 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 Feature
The Boeing Model 737-300, -400, -700, -800, -8, and -9 series
airplanes will incorporate the following novel or unusual design
feature:
A digital systems architecture for the installation of a system
with wireless network and hosted application functionality that allows
access, from sources internal to the airplane, to the airplane's
internal electronic components.
Discussion
The digital systems architecture for the installation of an
Avionica avWiFi system with wireless network and hosted application
functionality on these Boeing Model 737 airplanes is a novel or unusual
design feature for transport category airplanes because it is composed
of several connected networks. This proposed network architecture is
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 airplane control domain 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 aircraft
control domain and airline information-services 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 wired or wireless electronic connections from within the
airplane. 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 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
Boeing Model 737-300, -400, -700, -800, -8, and -9 series airplanes.
Should Archeion apply at a later date for a supplemental type
certificate to modify any other model included on Type Certificate No.
A16WE to incorporate 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 Boeing Model 737-300, -400, -700, -800, -8, and -9 series airplanes.
It is not a rule of general applicability and affects only the
applicant.
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 Boeing Model 737-300, -400, -700, -
800, -8, and -9 series airplanes, as modified by Archeion Holdings,
LLC, for airplane electronic-system security protection from
unauthorized 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 aircraft is
maintained, including all post type certification modifications that
may have an impact on the approved electronic-system security
safeguards.
Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on October 5, 2020.
James E. Wilborn,
Acting Manager, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and Innovation
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-22357 Filed 10-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P