EASA AD 2021-0286
Placards and Markings — Safety Placards for First Centre Row Passenger Seats — Installation
Summary
EASA Airworthiness Directive 2021-0286 is an airworthiness directive issued by EASA affecting Airbus A330-202, A330-203, and A330-243 aircraft modified with specific EASA Supplemental Type Certificates for MRTT configuration. The directive addresses missing mandatory safety placards on the first centre row passenger seats, which are critical for passenger safety during taxi, take-off, and landing. It mandates inspections and corrective actions to ensure proper installation of these safety placards.
What Changed
This new airworthiness directive introduces requirements for inspecting the first centre row passenger seats on affected Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft to verify the presence of mandatory safety placards. If discrepancies are found, seats must be marked as unserviceable and placards installed within six months. The directive also references specific Airbus Defence and Space Alert Operators Transmission and Service Bulletin documents for inspection and installation procedures.
Why It Matters
This directive is important for aviation professionals because missing safety placards can lead to passengers not fastening seat belts or improperly stowing tables and leg rests, increasing the risk of injury during critical flight phases. Operators and maintenance teams must ensure compliance to maintain aircraft airworthiness and passenger safety. Failure to comply could result in operational restrictions and safety hazards.
What To Do
Operators must perform a general visual inspection of the first centre row seats before the next flight after 4 January 2022 to check for required safety placards. If placards are missing, affected seats must be marked unserviceable and not used until placards are installed within six months. Compliance must follow the instructions in the Airbus Defence and Space AOT and Service Bulletin referenced in the directive.
Your fleet's weekly compliance brief
AI-summarized regulatory changes, compliance deadlines, and action items — filtered to your aircraft, every Monday.
AI-generated summary from official EASA source document. Always verify against the original.