20.7.2022 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
L 191/47 |
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2022/1254
of 19 July 2022
amending Regulation (EU) 2015/640 as regards the introduction of new additional airworthiness requirements
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and amending Regulations (EC) No 2111/2005, (EC) No 1008/2008, (EU) No 996/2010, (EU) No 376/2014 and Directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 552/2004 and (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 (1), and in particular Article 17(1), point (h), thereof,
Whereas:
(1) |
Pursuant to Article 76(3) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (the ‘Agency’) issues certification specifications (CSs) and regularly updates them in order to ensure that CSs remain fit for purpose. However, an aircraft the design of which has already been certified is not required to comply with the updated version of the applicable CSs when it is produced or while in service. In order to support continuing airworthiness and safety improvements, compliance of such aircraft with additional airworthiness requirements that were not included in the initial CSs at the time of certification of the design should be introduced. Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/640 (2) sets out such additional airworthiness requirements. |
(2) |
With effect from 26 August 2023, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1159 (3) inserted in Annex I (Part-26) to Regulation (EU) 2015/640 a new point 26.157. In accordance with that provision, all in-service large aeroplanes certified by the Agency and used in commercial air transport on or after 26 August 2023 are to comply with additional airworthiness requirements for the conversion of Class D cargo or baggage compartments. However, further analysis has shown that for certain type of operations, including primarily business operations, certain large, low-occupancy aeroplanes present lower risk of an in-flight fire starting in their Class D cargo or baggage compartment and developing into an uncontrollable fire. In order to avoid imposing non-proportionate and non-cost-efficient burdens on their operators, the operators of those aeroplane types should therefore be exempted from the obligation to comply with point 26.157. |
(3) |
With effect from 22 June 2021, the Agency amended the Certification Specifications for Large Aeroplanes (CS-25) to introduce a new specification that requires the establishment of means to minimise the risk of a tyre being below its minimum serviceable inflation pressure during operation. However, that new specification applies only to large aeroplanes for which application for the approval of the design was made after 22 June 2021. Considering that certain large aeroplanes might not comply with that new specification, additional airworthiness requirements should be introduced. Having due regard to the nature and risk of operations with large aeroplanes while maintaining a high uniform level of civil aviation safety in the Union, it is proportionate and cost-efficient to introduce those additional airworthiness requirements for all large aeroplanes in-service that were produced on the basis of a design already certified by the Agency. |
(4) |
The Agency has amended the Certification Specifications for Small Rotorcraft (CS-27) and Large Rotorcraft (CS-29) respectively to introduce new specifications for rotorcraft intended for use in offshore operations. In accordance with the new specifications, the rotorcraft are required to be certified for ditching or are required to have emergency flotation systems installed on them. Having due regard to the nature and risk of helicopter offshore operations and the need to maintain a high uniform level of civil aviation safety in the Union, it is proportionate and cost-efficient to render some of those specifications applicable to existing helicopters operated in the Union and to those that will be produced after the entry into force of this Regulation on the basis of a design which has already been certified by the Agency. |
(5) |
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee established by Article 127 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, |
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Regulation (EU) 2015/640 is amended as follows:
(1) |
in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2015/640, the following points (ca), (cb) and (cc) are inserted:
|
(2) |
Annex I (Part-26) is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation. |
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from 9 September 2022, except for:
(a) |
points 2 and 6 of the Annex, which shall apply from 26 August 2023; |
(b) |
point 4 and point 5 of the Annex as regards the addition of points 26.410, 26.415, points 26.420(a) and (b), and point 26.425 of Annex I (Part-26) to Regulation (EU) 2015/640, which shall apply from 9 August 2023; |
(c) |
point 5 of the Annex as regards the addition of point 26.420(c) and point 26.435(a) of Annex I (Part-26) to Regulation (EU) 2015/640, which shall apply from 9 August 2024; |
(d) |
point 5 of the Annex as regards the addition of point 26.435(b) of Annex I (Part-26) to Regulation (EU) 2015/640, which shall apply from 9 August 2026. |
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 19 July 2022.
For the Commission
The President
Ursula VON DER LEYEN
(1) OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, p. 1.
(2) Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/640 of 23 April 2015 on additional airworthiness specifications for a given type of operations and amending Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 (OJ L 106, 24.4.2015, p. 18).
(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1159 of 5 August 2020 amending Regulations (EU) No 1321/2014 and (EU) No 2015/640 as regards the introduction of new additional airworthiness requirements (OJ L 257, 6.8.2020, p. 14).
ANNEX
Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2015/640 (Part-26) is amended as follows:
(1) |
the table of contents is replaced by the following: ‘CONTENTS SUBPART A – GENERAL PROVISIONS
SUBPART B – LARGE AEROPLANES
SUBPART C – HELICOPTERS
|
(2) |
point 26.157 is replaced by the following: ‘26.157 Conversion of Class D compartments Operators of large aeroplanes used in commercial air transport, type certified on or after 1 January 1958, except for operators of an aeroplane model listed in Table A.1 of Appendix 1 to this Annex, shall ensure that:
|
(3) |
the following point 26.201 is inserted: ‘26.201 Tyre inflation pressure Operators of large aeroplanes shall minimise the risk of a tyre being below its minimum serviceable inflation pressure during operation.’; |
(4) |
the title of Subpart C is replaced by the following: ‘SUBPART C – HELICOPTERS’; |
(5) |
the following points 26.410, 26.415, 26.420, 26.425, 26.430, 26.431 and 26.435 are added: ‘26.410 Emergency controls operated underwater Operators of small helicopters and large helicopters that are required, in accordance with point CAT.IDE.H.320(a) of Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, to be designed for landing on water or certified for ditching, shall ensure that all the emergency controls that need to be operated underwater are marked with the method of operation as well as with yellow and black stripes. 26.415 Underwater emergency exits
26.420 Emergency equipment for flight over water
26.425 Provision of substantiated sea conditions
26.430 Resistance of an emergency flotation system to damage
26.431 Determination of the robustness of emergency flotation system designs
26.435 Automatic deployment of an emergency flotation system
|
(6) |
Appendix 1 is replaced by the following: ‘Appendix 1 List of aeroplane models not subject to certain provisions of Annex I (Part-26) Table A.1
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