FAA Grants American Airlines Exemption To Install Up To 70 Mini Suites On Boeing 777-300ERs

Summary

• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has allowed American Airlines to install new business class mini-suites on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
• The new business class seats were part of the airline’s effort to refresh its long-haul fleet’s cabins.
• While the FAA has already granted an exemption to install the seats on the Boeing 787-9, the regulator was yet to approve the exemption for the A321XLR.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted American Airlines the permission to install up to 70 mini-suites on its Boeing 777-300ERs as the airline aims to refresh and newly equip its aircraft with more premium seats.

Regulations prohibiting doors

In its initial application in January, filed under the FAA-2024-0257 docket, American Airlines stated that it intended to install 70 business class seats with mini-suites under a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC).

However, specific sections of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which do not allow the installation of doors in any partitions between passengers, as well as the operation of aircraft built after 2006 with a door installed between any passenger seat that could be used during takeoff or landing, or any emergency exit that would cross any evacuation path.

“If granted, American would apply this exemption to 777-300ER aircraft configured with premium mini-suite interiors […].”

The airline said that it would utilize a two-class cabin with 70 business class suites, 44 premium economy class seats, and 216 economy seats on a 777-300ER.

In the public’s interest

In its argument, American Airlines detailed that the mini-suites would not impact safety since they would provide passengers with multiple redundancies to ensure a safe evacuation during an emergency.

Furthermore, the FAA would be serving the public’s interest by granting the exemption since these suites “are becoming common type of premium seating for long-range travel throughout the public aircraft transport industry.”

“American wants to offer a high level of comfort and privacy that mini-suites with doors can provide to our customers, allowing American to generate additional revenues from the premium product while remaining competitive with domestic and foreign airlines.”

Granting the exemption

On August 6, the FAA published a letter from the regulator to the carrier, saying that it had granted the exemption with certain conditions.

The United States-based regulator said that it had agreed with the airline’s argument that more airlines have been installing mini-suites on its aircraft, which also improve the levels of comfort onboard such aircraft as the 777 and others that are primarily used for long-haul flights.

As such, it agreed with American Airlines that an exemption would be in the public interest.

Providing background information about the rules that prohibit the installation of doors inside commercial aircraft, the FAA said that regulators enacted the rule following numerous accidents in the 1960s when a solid door typically separated the first class and economy class passengers.

Previously, similar exemptions were granted if operators could ensure that passengers could break the doors open, that they must stay open during taxi, takeoff, and landing, there were established procedures to signal to the flight crew that a door was closed during takeoff or landing, and doors have to have dual means to retain them in the open position.

American Airlines will have to station three additional flight attendants in the zones where the mini-suites are located. According to the petition’s text, the airline proposed two zones – with one zone being defined as a cabin section between emergency exits – with 22 mini-suites and 48 mini-suites in zone 1 and zone 2, respectively.

When granting an exemption for the Airbus A350, the FAA ruled that one flight attendant could “reasonably manage” a zone with up to 32 mini-suites, meaning that American Airlines would have to deploy an additional flight attendant in zone 1 and two in zone 2.

“Specifically, this exemption provides relief from the requirements that prohibit the installation of interior doors between passenger seats and emergency exits.”

New premium interiors

The exemption was related to the new interiors that American Airlines introduced in 2022 when it unveiled that it would introduce new premium seats on newly delivered Airbus A231XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

In addition, it would retrofit 777-300ER aircraft with premium seats, with the carrier promising that premium seating on the airline’s long-haul fleet would grow more than 45% by 2026.

At the time, American Airlines promised that the new seats would be introduced with new A321XLR and 787-9 deliveries in 2024, while its 777-300ERs would begin the retrofit process in late 2024.

“Flagship Suite seats will offer customers a private premium experience with a privacy door, a chaise lounge seating option and more personal storage space. Customers will enjoy tailored luxury in their private retreat in the sky in American’s premium cabin.”

The carrier had already requested exemptions for the 787-9 in September 2021. The FAA responded to the request, granting an exemption for the type, on August 15, 2023, using very similar arguments.

In March, Airbus requested an exemption to enable the installation of mini-suites on the A321XLR, which was certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on July 19. The European manufacturer argued that the FAA had already approved the installation of mini-suites on the A321neo with the Airbus Cabin Flex (ACF) interior, with the two types having “strictly identical” cabin configurations.

On April 24, American Airlines applied for an individual exemption to install business class mini-suites as delivered under Airbus Type Certificate (TC). The affected regulations were identical to those cited in the 777-300ER exemption request.

However, the FAA has not responded to Airbus or American Airlines’ request for exemptions for the A321XLR. The US regulator has neither certified the A321XLR.