The Federal Aviation Administration issued a final rule Wednesday mandating technology to reduce the risk of fires on aircraft.
The rule requires that within two years all new aircraft must include a device that protects fuel tanks from explosion. In addition, passenger aircraft built after 1991 must be retrofitted with technology designed to keep center fuel tanks from catching fire.
The announcement came one day before the 12th anniversary of the historic crash of TWA flight 800, which was caused by such an explosion and killed all 230 people aboard.
"We want to do everything possible to make sure safety examiners won't have to investigate another plane shattered by an exploding tank," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters. "We can't change the past, but we can make the future safer for thousands of air travelers, and this rule does just that."
In the wake of the TWA crash, researchers with the FAA developed a breakthrough system that replaces oxygen in the fuel tank with inert nitrogen gas, which effectively prevents the potential ignition of flammable vapors. Commercial aircraft manufacturer Boeing independently developed a similar system.
"Today's rule will add another layer of safety reducing the chance that the vapors in the tank will ignite, even if there is a spark," said FAA Acting Administrator Robert A. Sturgell.
New production cargo airplanes will be required to have the new system. If a cargo airline buys a commercial airplane with it, they have to use it, said FAA spokesman Paul Turk.
FAA estimates the cost for the U.S. fleet at approximately $1 billion over 35 years, including $435 million for retrofitting the existing fleet. The estimated retrofit cost per airplane will be between $150,000 and $400,000 per aircraft. The U.S. aircraft that will be retrofitted include the A320 family of 900 airplanes, 50 A330s, 965 Boeing 737s, 60 Boeing 747s, 475 Boeing 757s, 150 Boeing 767s, and 130 Boeing 777s. The estimated kit costs for new production airplanes range from $92,000 and $205,000.
For now, the only manufacturer who has a system is Boeing.
