NPA 2019-02

Class D compartments

The objective of this NPA is to address the issue of potential uncontrollable fires in the Class D compartments of large aeroplanes used for commercial air transport (CAT). This includes any fires that result from thermal runaways of lithium batteries.

This NPA proposes, through an amendment of Part-26/CS-26, to require operators, whose in-service large aeroplanes used for CAT contain Class D cargo or baggage compartments, to apply to those aircraft:

  • the standards applicable to Class C compartments, if the aeroplanes are involved in the transport of passengers, or
  • the standards applicable to either Class C or Class E compartments, if the aeroplanes are only involved in all-cargo operations.

If a regulation is introduced to amend Part-26 to require these changes, the resulting conversions of the Class D compartments would need to be performed within three years of the entry into force of that regulation.

The proposed changes are expected to increase safety by mitigating the risk of uncontrollable fires in Class D cargo or baggage compartments, and to improve harmonisation with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).