Published in Aviation Week Network
Most U.S.-registered aircraft will soon need to be equipped with cockpit voice recorders that can record for a minimum of 25 hours, up from the current requirement for minimum recording capacity of two hours.
Last year’s FAA mandate—signed into law May 16, 2024 as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024—is aligned with International Civil Aviation Organization and European Union Aviation Safety Agency regulations. It requires aircraft newly manufactured on or after one year from the date of the act to be line-fit with a 25-hr. cockpit voice recorder (CVR), and for existing aircraft to be retrofitted within six years (by 2030). The retrofit provision was included at the recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
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“We have seen a significant uptick in demand for the 25-hr. CVR, with compliance being mandated by 2030,” says Steve Leaper, director of customer facing/avionics, video and systems for external sales at Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions. “The mandate is a positive step forward to increase retrofit, since so many aircraft operators are using 2-hr. CVRs.”
