The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States has issued a new Airworthiness Directive (AD) targeting Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. This regulation, identified as AD 2024-23-04, replaces AD 2023-21-08 and will take effect on January 6, 2025.
The new AD addresses an update to the Time Limit Manual (TLM) issued by the manufacturer, introducing more restrictive tasks and limitations for critical life-limited components. According to the FAA, this update is necessary to prevent failures of critical rotating parts, which could result in loss of thrust control or even aircraft control.
- Maintenance program update: Operators of these engines will need to revise the Airworthiness Limitation Section (ALS) of their approved maintenance programs to incorporate the new tasks and limits outlined in the TLM.
- Reduced compliance timeframe: Unlike the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) directive AD 2024-0062, which allows a 12-month compliance period, the FAA requires the revisions to be completed within 30 days of the directive’s effective date.
Scope of the directive
The AD applies to Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines of the A, AE, C, CE, D, E, G, and H variants, installed on 28 aircraft registered in the United States. These engines are primarily used on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The FAA estimates the compliance cost to be minimal, with an expected expenditure of 85 USD per engine, amounting to a total of 2,380 USD for all affected operators in the country. Operators can review the full directive on the regulations.gov website under docket number FAA-2024-2014. The directive also incorporates references to EASA AD 2024-0062, which provides specific instructions for implementing the required updates.
The FAA emphasized that this measure aims to ensure flight safety in compliance with its mandate to regulate maintenance procedures in accordance with international standards. The agency confirmed that the directive will not have a significant economic impact or affect intrastate operations in Alaska.
