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963 Airbus helicopters get tighter FAA inspection rules
The agency says the old approach of recording the limits in maintenance logs is no longer enough. The update makes the manual itself part of compliance.
The Federal Aviation Administration is tightening the maintenance limits on a specific Airbus Helicopters fleet. For operators of AS350B, AS350BA, AS350B1, AS350B2, AS350B3, AS350D, EC130B4 and EC130T2 helicopters, the change means the paperwork that guides inspections now has to reflect newer, more restrictive limits.
Comment deadline: N/A Effective date: July 21, 2026
The final rule supersedes Airworthiness Directive 2022-11-08 and takes effect July 21, 2026. The agency says the older approach of relying on maintenance-record entries is no longer enough.
Inside the maintenance manual
The rule requires revising the airworthiness limitations section, or ALS, of the existing maintenance manual or instructions for continued airworthiness, as applicable. Operators also have to update the approved maintenance or inspection program.
AD 2022-11-08 had already required crews to incorporate certain airworthiness limitations into maintenance records. The new directive shifts the emphasis to the documents that crews and planners use every day, which means the compliance work has to be folded into ongoing operations rather than treated as a one-time note.
Why the change reaches the hangar floor
For maintenance teams, the ALS is the set of limits that shapes how an aircraft gets inspected and kept in service. Updating it can change shop routines, planning and signoff work even when the helicopter itself does not change.
The FAA says the update is needed to address an unsafe condition on these products.
Agency: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT Docket ID: FAA-2026-0006 RIN: 2120-AA64 CFR parts: 14 CFR Part 39 Comment deadline: N/A Effective date: July 21, 2026 Contact: Matthew Williams • Aviation Safety Engineer • (316) 946-4134 • matthew.t.williams@faa.gov • 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590