FAA Issues Supplemental NPRM for Airworthiness Directive on Bombardier BD-700-2A12 Airplanes
Why It MattersAirworthiness rulemaking on widely-operated business jets moves through iterative comment cycles that can narrow scope based on manufacturer-country inspection data before compliance costs are finalized for fleet operators.
What happened
The Federal Aviation Administration published a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) on September 24, 2026 in the Federal Register, revising an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Bombardier, Inc. Model BD-700-2A12 airplanes (Global 7500). The SNPRM appears as Document No. 2026-19561, 91 FR 60525, under AD Docket FAA-2025-2277, and revises the original NPRM published September 9, 2025 (90 FR 43400). The FAA is proposing the AD to address reduced structural integrity and reduced controllability of the affected airplanes, citing new material required for revision of the existing maintenance or inspection program.
The revision narrows the applicability of the original NPRM by excluding airplanes on which the intent of Transport Canada AD CF-2023-38 has already been incorporated in production, since the FAA states those aircraft are not affected by the identified unsafe condition. Transport Canada AD CF-2023-38 had previously identified that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations had been developed.
The FAA received comments on the original NPRM from Bombardier, NetJets, The Citizens Rulemaking Alliance, and several anonymous commenters. NetJets requested clarification on how operators can comply with the cited Bombardier Global 7500 Revision Submission, RS-BD700-2A12-052, dated May 7, 2025. The public comment period for the SNPRM closes October 26, 2026, with submissions accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at regulations.gov under docket FAA-2025-2277, Project Identifier MCAI-2023-00733-T.
Industry impact & what to watch
This case shows how airworthiness directives evolve between initial proposal and final rule: regulators revise scope as new maintenance-program data and cross-border input from agencies like Transport Canada become available. The exclusion carved out for airplanes already incorporating Transport Canada AD CF-2023-38 in production illustrates how manufacturer build records can shrink an affected fleet before a directive is finalized, rather than every unit of a type certificate bearing the same compliance burden.
For operators of the Global 7500, the open comment period matters because NetJets' request for clarification on the Bombardier revision submission signals that compliance mechanics — not just the underlying safety condition — remain unsettled. How the FAA responds to that specific request, and whether it further adjusts applicability before the comment window closes on October 26, 2026, will determine which aircraft ultimately fall under the final rule and what inspection or maintenance program changes operators must carry out.
