BACKGROUNDER
TRANSPORT CANADA’S COMPREHENSIVE 
APPROACH TO AIRCRAFT FIRE SAFETY

Canada has one of the safest air transportation systems in the world. This system operates on the principle that, both in the air and on the ground, safety is a shared responsibility between all parties involved - regulators, manufacturers and operators.

Aircraft fire safety is a key aspect of Transport Canada’s safety responsibilities. Specifically, it is responsible for the development, implementation and enforcement of safety standards and regulations under the Canadian Aviation Regulations.

Fire safety on-board aircraft involves complex issues that require international cooperation between regulators, manufacturers and operators. Transport Canada works actively with partner authorities, particularly the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Joint Aviation Authorities, along with industry at home and from around the world, both directly and within recognized international working groups and committees, to address pertinent issues. Examples of such groups include the FAA’s International Aircraft Materials Fire Test Working Group and International Aircraft Systems Fire Protection Working Group, as well as the Aging Transport System Rulemaking Advisory Committee.

Canadian design certification standards include several measures to minimize the likelihood of on-board fires and to counteract fires in areas that have been identified to be most vulnerable, such as engines, cargo compartments and lavatories. These measures are based on a thorough assessment of fire risks and conditions. The standards require the provision of fire/smoke detection systems and suppression/extinguishing systems, the isolation of ignition sources and the means to prevent, through design, the accumulation of flammable fluids and vapors.

Transport Canada’s progress on significant fire safety improvements has focused on the following areas:

• stringent flammability and fire resistance standards for seat cushions and cabin interior materials to extend evacuation time, for escape slides to augment their resistance to radiant heat from fires and for cargo compartments to contain possible fires;
• cabin floor emergency lighting systems to provide guidance to exits in smoke conditions;
• improved on-board fire fighting equipment to enhance in-flight fire fighting; and
• fire detection and extinguishing and suppression systems for lavatories and for cargo compartments that are not accessible in flight.

Transport Canada is also working with other regulatory authorities to improve standards for other materials and technologies. This work includes:

• developing improved flammability criteria for hidden materials such as wiring - expected to be completed this year - to reduce their propensity for ignition and flame propagation;
• investigating new technologies and systems which can mitigate the risk of ignition, such as arc-fault interrupters;
• reviewing fire risks and conditions in various hidden areas and investigating means to provide enhanced detection and suppression in such areas; and
• developing advanced fire-resistant materials.

Transport Canada is committed to taking appropriate action to protect the travelling public and will continue to work with the international community to achieve a consensus on air transportation safety that reflects the concerns of the department and the Transportation Safety Board.

March 2003