Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 101 (Wednesday, May 27, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 31338-31341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-10490]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2025-5028; Project Identifier MCAI-2025-00434-T; 
Amendment 39-23351; AD 2026-10-11]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
certain Airbus SAS Model A320-251N, -252N, -253N, -271N, -272N, and -
273N airplanes. This AD was prompted by a detected deviation to the 
manufacturing process of the angle fitting connection to side panel 
skin between certain frames (FR) at a certain stringer on both left 
hand (LH) and right hand (RH) sides. This AD requires inspecting the 
fastener holes to ensure they are the nominal diameter and applicable 
corrective actions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe 
condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective July 1, 2026.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of July 1, 
2026.

ADDRESSES: 
    AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2025-5028; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD 
docket contains this final rule, the mandatory continuing airworthiness 
information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The 
address for Docket Operations is U.S. Department of Transportation, 
Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    <bullet> For European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) material 
identified in this AD, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 
Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 000; email [email protected]. 
You may find this material on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
    <bullet> You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness 
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des 
Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material at the 
FAA, call 206-231-3195. It is also available at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2025-5028.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Promita Dey, Aviation Safety Engineer, 
FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; phone: 316-946-4106; 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 
CFR part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to certain Airbus SAS 
Model A320-251N, -252N, -253N, -271N, -272N, and -273N airplanes. The 
NPRM was published in the Federal Register on November 21, 2025 (90 FR 
52570). The NPRM was prompted by EASA AD 2025-0065, dated March 27, 
2025 (EASA AD 2025-0065) (also referred to as the MCAI), issued by 
EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the 
European Union. The MCAI states a deviation to the manufacturing 
process was detected during a review of the cold working process in the 
assembly line. This deviation could adversely affect the fatigue life 
of the angle fitting connection to side panel skin between FR 35 and FR 
36 at stringer 30 on both LH and RH sides. This could lead to crack 
initiation and propagation, which could possibly result in reduced 
structural integrity of the airplane.
    In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to require inspecting the fastener 
holes to ensure they are the nominal diameter and applicable corrective 
actions, as specified in EASA AD 2025-0065. The FAA is issuing this AD 
to address the unsafe condition on these products.
    You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2025-5028.

Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive

Comments

    The FAA received a comment from the Air Line Pilots Association, 
International (ALPA) who supported the NPRM without change.
    The FAA received additional comments from the Citizens Rulemaking 
Alliance. The following presents the comments received on the NPRM and 
the FAA's response to each comment.

Request To Justify Forgoing Notice and Comment or Issue an NPRM

    The Citizens Rulemaking Alliance requested that the FAA either 
provide its justification for finding good cause to bypass notice and 
comment procedures, or convert this action to an NPRM with an 
appropriate comment period and defer non-urgent requirements. The 
commenter asserted the FAA has not adequately justified use of the good 
cause exemption to bypass notice and comment and the 30-day delayed 
effective date.
    The FAA notes the comment was submitted in response to an NPRM for 
which the FAA provided a 45-day comment period. This final rule is 
effective 35 days after its publication in the Federal Register. 
Therefore, no change to this AD is necessary.

Request To Make Incorporation by Reference (IBR) Materials Reasonably 
Available

    The Citizens Rulemaking Alliance requested that the FAA make IBR 
material available and free to the public during the comment period. 
The commenter stated that this AD appears to incorporate by reference 
manufacturer service information.

[[Page 31339]]

    The FAA notes that this AD incorporates by reference EASA AD 2025-
0065, not the manufacturer service information referenced in that EASA 
AD. The FAA posted EASA AD 2025-0065 to the AD docket when the NPRM was 
published in the Federal Register. The material referenced in EASA AD 
2025-0065 may only be posted before the final rule's publication if it 
is already publicly available or if there is written consent from the 
owner of that material. Additionally, the FAA provided notice in the 
NPRM that the material referenced in EASA AD 2025-0065 will be 
available in the AD docket after this AD is published. The FAA did not 
change this AD as a result of this comment.

Request To Comply With the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)

    The Citizens Rulemaking Alliance requested that the FAA revise the 
AD to comply with the PRA if reporting is required or remove any 
reporting provisions until PRA requirements are satisfied. If reporting 
is not required, the commenter requested the FAA clarify that in the 
AD.
    The FAA notes paragraph (i) of this AD specifies that this AD does 
not require reporting. If an AD were to require reporting, the preamble 
of the AD would include a paragraph titled ``Paperwork Reduction Act'' 
that would provide the applicable OMB control number, required PRA 
statements, and the estimated time to collect the required information 
(burden). Any costs associated with the reporting requirement would be 
included in the Costs of Compliance section in the preamble of the AD. 
Therefore, the FAA did not change this AD as a result of this comment.

Request To Consider Impact on Small Entities

    The Citizens Rulemaking Alliance requested that the FAA either 
provide the factual basis for its Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) 
certification that the AD will not have a significant economic impact 
on a substantial number of small entities, or prepare an initial 
regulatory flexibility analysis.
    The FAA provides the following clarification. The RFA of 1980 (5 
U.S.C. 601-612), as amended by the Small Business Regulatory 
Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-121) and the Small 
Business Jobs Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-240), requires Federal agencies 
to consider the effects of the regulatory action on small business and 
other small entities and to minimize any significant economic impact. 
The term ``small entities'' comprises small businesses and not-for-
profit organizations that are independently owned and operated and are 
not dominant in their fields, and governmental jurisdictions with 
populations of less than 50,000.
    This AD will affect two domestic entities, none of which are small 
business entities. While the FAA has determined that this final AD will 
not affect any small entities, FAA estimates the total cost per 
affected airplane to be $2,295 (27 work-hours x $85 per work-hour). 
Because the FAA does not find a cost burden to small business entities, 
as provided in section 605(b), the FAA certifies this AD will not 
result in a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities. The FAA did not change this AD as a result of this 
comment.

Request To Provide Additional Cost Information

    The Citizens Rulemaking Alliance requested that the FAA add to the 
AD docket the methodology and assumptions supporting the estimated cost 
of the proposed AD and reopen the comment period for public input on 
the additional cost information. The commenter stated that, in addition 
to labor and parts cost, the FAA's cost analysis should include 
downtime and operational impacts and disclose the methodology and data 
sources.
    The FAA recognizes that, in doing the actions required by an AD, 
operators might incur indirect costs in addition to the direct costs. 
The cost analysis in an AD typically describes only the direct costs of 
the specific actions required by an AD, which does not include indirect 
costs since the FAA lacks data on those costs and they vary 
significantly among operators. The number of work hours necessary to do 
the required actions of an AD is provided by the manufacturer. This 
number represents the time necessary to perform only the actions 
actually required by an AD. The cost of parts or special tools, if 
necessary, to complete the actions required by an AD is also provided 
by the manufacturer. Further, when the FAA is informed that the 
manufacturer may cover some or all of the estimated costs of an AD 
under warranty, the FAA indicates that in the AD.
    In the Costs of Compliance section of the proposed AD, the FAA 
disclosed the number of airplanes affected on the U.S. registry, 
estimated number of work hours provided by the manufacturer, and the 
aggregate costs. The FAA did not disclose an estimated parts cost since 
this AD does not require any parts. Additionally, the FAA considered 
the impact that this AD will have on affected operators and determined 
this AD will not trigger any downtime costs because the requirements of 
this AD can be performed during regularly scheduled maintenance. Since 
the FAA has assessed and disclosed the total known costs of the AD 
requirements in the Costs of Compliance section of the proposed AD, and 
the commenter did not provide additional cost data for the FAA to 
consider in its cost analysis, it is not necessary to reopen the 
comment period or provide additional information in the AD docket. The 
FAA did not change this AD as a result of this comment.

Conclusion

    These products have been approved by the civil aviation authority 
of another country and are approved for operation in the United States. 
Pursuant to the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design 
Authority, that authority has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition 
described in the MCAI referenced above. The FAA reviewed the relevant 
data, considered any comments received, and determined that air safety 
requires adopting this AD as proposed. Accordingly, the FAA is issuing 
this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. Except for 
minor editorial changes, this AD is adopted as proposed in the NPRM. 
None of the changes will increase the economic burden on any operator.

Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51

    The FAA reviewed EASA AD 2025-0065, which specifies procedures for 
special detailed inspections of the holes on the angle fitting 
connection to the side panel skin between FR 35 and FR 36 at stringer 
30 on both the LH and RH sides for discrepancies (fastener holes not in 
nominal condition) and applicable corrective actions. Corrective 
actions include a rototest inspection of the affected holes for 
cracking, repair, and contacting the manufacturer for additional 
instructions.
    This material is reasonably available because the interested 
parties have access to it through their normal course of business or by 
the means identified in the ADDRESSES section.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this AD affects 90 airplanes of U.S. 
registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:

[[Page 31340]]



                                      Estimated Costs for Required Actions
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                                                                                     Cost per      Cost on U.S.
                             Labor cost                               Parts cost      product       operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
27 work-hours x $85 per hour = $2,295..............................           $0        $2,295         $206,550
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                Estimated Costs of On-Condition Actions *
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                                                             Cost per
              Labor cost                   Parts cost        product
------------------------------------------------------------------------
20 work-hours x $85 per hour = $1,700.              $0           $1,700
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* The FAA has received no definitive data on which to base the cost
  estimates for the on-condition obtaining and following instructions
  specified in this AD.

Authority for This Rulemaking

    Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to 
issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the 
authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII: Aviation Programs, 
describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority.
    The FAA is issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in 
Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General requirements. 
Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with promoting safe flight 
of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing regulations for 
practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds necessary 
for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within the scope of that 
authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to 
exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action.

Regulatory Findings

    This AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order 
13132. This AD will not have a substantial direct effect on the States, 
on the relationship between the national government and the States, or 
on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various 
levels of government.
    For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this AD:
    (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive 
Order 12866,
    (2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
    (3) Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or 
negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria 
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

The Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.


Sec.  39.13  [Amended]

0
2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness 
directive:

2026-10-11 Airbus SAS: Amendment 39-23351; Docket No. FAA-2025-5028; 
Project Identifier MCAI-2025-00434-T.

(a) Effective Date

    This airworthiness directive (AD) is effective July 1, 2026.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Airbus SAS Model A320-251N, -252N, -253N, -
271N, -272N, and -273N airplanes, certificated in any category, as 
identified in European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2025-
0065, dated March 27, 2025 (EASA AD 2025-0065).

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 53, Fuselage.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a detected deviation to the 
manufacturing process of the angle fitting connection to side panel 
skin between frame (FR) 35 and FR 36 at stringer 30 on both left 
hand (LH) and right hand (RH) sides. The FAA is issuing this AD to 
address reduced fatigue life of the affected area, which if not 
addressed, could result in crack initiation and propagation, which 
could possibly result in reduced structural integrity of the 
airplane.

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Requirements

    Except as specified in paragraph (h) of this AD: Comply with all 
required actions and compliance times specified in, and in 
accordance with, EASA AD 2025-0065.

(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2025-0065

    (1) Where paragraphs (2) and (3) of EASA AD 2025-0065 specify 
``discrepancy'', this AD requires replacing that text with 
``fastener hole not in nominal condition''.
    (2) Where paragraph (4) of EASA AD 2025-0065 specifies ``any 
discrepancy is detected, as defined in the SB, before next flight, 
contact Airbus for approved repair instructions and, within the 
compliance time specified therein, accomplish those instructions 
accordingly'', this AD requires replacing that text with ``if any 
cracking is detected, the cracking must be repaired before further 
flight using a method approved by the Manager, AIR-520, Continued 
Operational Safety Branch, FAA; or EASA; or Airbus SAS's EASA Design 
Organization Approval (DOA). If approved by the DOA, the approval 
must include the DOA-authorized signature''.
    (3) This AD does not adopt the ``Remarks'' section of EASA AD 
2025-0065.

(i) No Reporting Requirement

    Although the material referenced in EASA AD 2025-0065 specifies 
to submit certain information to the manufacturer, this AD does not 
include that requirement.

(j) Additional AD Provisions

    The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, AIR-
520, Continued Operational Safety Branch, FAA, has the authority to 
approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the procedures found 
in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, send your request 
to your principal inspector or responsible Flight Standards Office, 
as appropriate. If sending information directly to the manager of 
the Continued Operational Safety Branch, send it to the attention of 
the person identified in paragraph (k) of this AD and email to: 
[email protected]. Before using any approved AMOC, notify your 
appropriate

[[Page 31341]]

principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 
of the responsible Flight Standards Office.
    (2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any requirement in this AD 
to obtain instructions from a manufacturer, the instructions must be 
accomplished using a method approved by the Manager, AIR-520, 
Continued Operational Safety Branch, FAA; or EASA; or Airbus SAS's 
EASA DOA. If approved by the DOA, the approval must include the DOA-
authorized signature.
    (3) Required for Compliance (RC): Except as required by 
paragraphs (i) and (j)(2) of this AD, if any material contains 
procedures or tests that are identified as RC, those procedures and 
tests must be done to comply with this AD; any procedures or tests 
that are not identified as RC are recommended. Those procedures and 
tests that are not identified as RC may be deviated from using 
accepted methods in accordance with the operator's maintenance or 
inspection program without obtaining approval of an AMOC, provided 
the procedures and tests identified as RC can be done and the 
airplane can be put back in an airworthy condition. Any 
substitutions or changes to procedures or tests identified as RC 
require approval of an AMOC.

(k) Additional Information

    For more information about this AD, contact Promita Dey, 
Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 
98198; phone: 316-946-4106; email: [email protected].

(l) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of the material listed in this paragraph 
under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this material as applicable to do the actions 
required by this AD, unless this AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2025-0065, 
dated March 27, 2025.
    (ii) Reserved.
    (3) For EASA material identified in this AD, contact EASA, 
Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 
8999 000; email [email protected]. You may find this material on 
the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
    (4) You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness 
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St., 
Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material 
at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.
    (5) You may view this material at the National Archives and 
Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability 
of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email [email protected].

    Issued on May 11, 2026.
Lona C. Saccomando,
Acting Deputy Director, Integrated Certificate Management Division, 
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-10490 Filed 5-26-26; 8:45 am]
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