Upgrading Fire-Protection Standards
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants to implement simpler, performance-based standards governing fire protection inside transport category airplanes and apply those standards to materials used in inaccessible areas, including cargo compartments.
According to a notice published in the Federal Register in early July, the changes would “result in a safety benefit by reducing the likelihood of a fatal accident from a fire in an inaccessible area.” That likelihood has increased in recent years, partly because of the growing presence of lithium ion batteries to power personal electronic devices, the notice said.
The FAA said that the standards would apply to “any extensively used material in an inaccessible area”…
