Airbus plans to equip its A350 and A380 passenger jets with ejectable black boxes that will be able to float, news agency AFP reported.
A source quoted by AFP said: “At the end of last year Airbus got the green light from EASA [European Air Security Agency] to work on the necessary modifications to its planes in order to install these new black boxes in the rear of the planes.”
According to the report, the final approval by the EASA is expected soon.
If passed, the new measures could significantly help search and rescue teams locate the black box in an event of a crash.
In the past year, Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 disappeared over the Indian Ocean with no trace, while AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crashed into the Java Sea and rescuers have still not located the cockpit recorder. The flight data recorder from the flight has been located.
“The idea is to modify the black boxes so that each one records the flight details and [cockpit] conversations. One would be ejectable, the other not,” a source close to Airbus explained to AFP.
The black boxes will be equipped with airbags to help them float.
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