2026-13280: Special Conditions: AMAC Aerospace, The Boeing Company Model 747- 8 Airplane; Side-Facing Seats

Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 125 (Wednesday, July 1, 2026) [Federal Register Volume 91, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 1, 2026)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 39852-39854] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2026-13280] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 25 [Docket No. FAA-2026-3768; Special Conditions No. 25-891-SC] Special Conditions: AMAC Aerospace, The Boeing Company Model 747- 8 Airplane; Side-Facing Seats

Agency

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

Action

Final special conditions; request for comments. -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary

These special conditions are issued for The Boeing Company (Boeing) Model 747-8 airplane. This airplane, as modified by AMAC Aerospace (AMAC), will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. This design feature is side-facing, single-occupant and multiple-occupant seats. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

Dates

This action is effective on AMAC on July 1, 2026. Send comments on or before August 17, 2026.

Addresses

Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2026-3768 using any of the following methods: Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for sending your comments electronically. Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC, 20590-0001. Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251. Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at www.regulations.gov at any time. Follow the online instructions for accessing the docket or go to Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

For Further Information Contact

Michael Perrin, Cabin Safety section, AIR-624, Technical Policy Branch, Policy and Standards Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, Texas 76177; telephone and fax (817) 222- 5847; email [email protected].

Supplementary Information

The substance of these special conditions has been published in the Federal Register for public comment in several prior instances with no substantive comments received. Therefore, the FAA finds, pursuant to 14 CFR 11.38(b), that new comments are unlikely, and notice and comment prior to this publication are unnecessary. Privacy Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in the following paragraph, and other information as described in title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 11.35, the FAA will post all comments received without change to www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about these special conditions. Confidential Business Information Confidential Business Information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to these special conditions contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to these special conditions, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and the indicated comments will not be placed in the public docket of these proposed special conditions. Send submissions containing CBI to the individual listed in the For Further Information Contact section above. Comments the FAA receives, which are not specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket for these proposed special conditions. [[Page 39853]] Comments Invited The FAA invites interested people to take part in this rulemaking by sending written comments, data, or views. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the special conditions, explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date for comments. The FAA may change these special conditions based on the comments received. Background On May 28, 2025, AMAC applied for a supplemental type certificate for an executive interior installation on a Boeing 747-8 airplane. This airplane will have side-facing, single- and multiple-occupant seats. The Boeing Model 747-8 airplane, currently approved under Type Certificate No. A20WE, is a four engine transport category airplane. The airplane, as modified by AMAC, will have a maximum seating capacity for 89 passengers, 14 crew members, and a maximum take-off weight of 975,000 pounds. Type Certification Basis Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.101, AMAC must show that the Boeing Model 747-8 airplane, as changed, continues to meet the applicable provisions of the regulations listed in Type Certificate No. A20WE or the applicable regulations in effect on the date of application for the change, except for earlier amendments as agreed upon by the FAA. If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness regulations (e.g., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the Boeing Model 747-8 airplane because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed under the provisions of Sec. 21.16. Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which they are issued. Should the applicant apply for a supplemental type certificate to modify any other model included on the same type certificate to incorporate the same novel or unusual design feature, these special conditions would also apply to the other model under Sec. 21.101. In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special conditions, the Boeing Model 747-8 airplane must comply with the exhaust-emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34, and the noise- certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36. The FAA issues special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in accordance with Sec. 11.38, and they become part of the type certification basis under Sec. 21.101. Novel or Unusual Design Features The Boeing Model 747-8 airplane will incorporate the following novel or unusual design feature: An executive interior installation on a Boeing 747-8 airplane with side-facing, single-occupant and multiple-occupant seats. Discussion Section 25.785(b), requires that each seat, safety belt, harness, and adjacent part of the airplane at each station designated as occupiable during takeoff and landing must be designed so that a person making proper use of these facilities will not suffer serious injury in an emergency landing as a result of the inertia forces specified in Sec. Sec. 25.561 and 25.562. Additionally, Sec. 25.562 requires dynamic testing of all seats occupied during takeoff and landing. The relative forces and injury mechanisms affecting the occupants of side- facing seats during an emergency landing are different from those of standard forward or aft-facing seats, given the different side loading conditions imposed upon the occupant. Therefore, the FAA has determined that, in addition to the requirements of part 21 and part 25, these special conditions are needed to address this seat installation. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a supplemental type certificate (STC) to AMAC for the installation of side facing seats on a Boeing 747-8 airplane and now AMAC is seeking an FAA STC via validation. EASA issued special conditions applicable to AMAC's seating arrangement that directly align with the occupant protection requirements in title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Special Federal Regulation (SFAR) 109, paragraph (4)(b), for multiple occupancy side-facing seats. The occupant protection criteria of SFAR 109 paragraph (4)(b), is independent of the number of occupants in the cabin. Applying this SFAR 109 paragraph (4)(b) criteria, in addition to criteria in existing requirements, provides an adequate level of safety for occupants of these side-facing seats. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards. Applicability As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the Boeing Model 747-8 airplane. Should AMAC apply at a later date for a supplemental type certificate to modify any other model included on Type Certificate No. A20WE to incorporate the same novel or unusual design feature, these special conditions would apply to that model as well. Conclusion This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature on one model of airplane. It is not a rule of general applicability and affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA for approval of these features on the airplane. List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25 Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Authority Citation The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows: Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 40113, 44701, 44702, and 44704. The Special Conditions Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the following special condition is issued as part of the type certification basis for Boeing Model 747-8, as modified by AMAC. In addition to the airworthiness standards in Sec. Sec. 25.562 and 25.785, the following special conditions provide injury criteria and installation/testing guidelines that represent the minimum acceptable airworthiness standard for side-facing, single-occupant and multiple- occupant seats: (1) Injury Criteria (a) Existing Criteria: All injury protection criteria of Sec. 25.562(c)(1) through (c)(6) apply to an occupant of a side-facing seat. Head-injury criterion (HIC) assessments are only required for head contact with the seat and/or adjacent structures. (b) Body-to-Wall/Furnishing Contact: If the seat is installed aft of a structure, such as an interior wall or furnishing, that may contact the pelvis, upper arm, chest, or head of an occupant seated next to the structure, a conservative representation of the structure and its stiffness must be included in the tests. It is recommended, but not required, that the contact surface of this structure be covered with at least two inches of energy-absorbing protective padding (foam or equivalent) such as Ensolite. [[Page 39854]] (c) Body-to-Body Contact: Contact between the head, pelvis, torso or shoulder area of one anthropomorphic test dummy (ATD) with the adjacent seated ATD's head, pelvis, torso or shoulder area is not allowed during the tests conducted in accordance with Sec. 25.562(b)(1) and (b)(2). Contact during rebound is allowed. (d) Thoracic Trauma: Thoracic trauma index (TTI) injury criterion must be substantiated by dynamic test or by rational analysis based on previous test(s) of a similar seat installation. Testing must be conducted with a side impact dummy (SID) anthropomorphic test device (ATD), as defined by title 49 CFR part 572, subpart F, or its equivalent. TTI must be less than 85, as defined in part 572, subpart