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The Airbus Safety magazine
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Focus on Protective Breathing Equipment
Protective Breathing Equipment (PBE) protects the user’s face and respiratory system from heat, smoke and noxious gases. In-service events were reported to Airbus where the PBE did not work as expected or where cabin crew had difficulties using their equipment or inappropriately used it, which impaired their safety. This article explains the concept and specificities of PBE. It recalls the essential maintenance, operational, and training considerations that must be followed in order to ensure PBE integrity and safe use in the case of an emergency.
Fuel Leak Management in Flight
A fuel leak can have serious consequences, especially because of the risk of fire and fuel starvation. When a fuel leak is detected, it is essential to follow the operational procedures to maintain the safety of the flight. This article highlights how to detect and confirm a fuel leak on A300-600, A310, A320 family, A330, A340, A350, and A380 aircraft. It also recalls which actions to perform, especially shutting down the engine in the case of an engine fuel leak to prevent any risk of engine fire. Fuel leak management for A220 aircraft will be addressed in a future article.
Lithium Battery Fire in the Cabin or in the Cockpit
A lithium battery fire during flight is a significantly growing threat due to the increasing number of portable electronic devices carried by aircraft occupants.Recent events illustrate the critical importance of adhering to the procedures to timely and efficiently react to a lithium battery fire.This article explains the specific firefighting steps to fight a lithium battery fire. It also recalls the various procedures that must be followed to deal with a fire in the cabin or in the cockpit.
Editorial – July 2025
by Yannick MALINGE – SVP – Head of Aviation Safety
Let’s Use xLS
xLS is a concept that has been developed by Airbus for A320 family, A330, A350, and A380 aircraft to ease the flight crew’s task of flying all straight approaches. It is now the standard for all the newly manufactured Airbus aircraft of these types.This article describes the xLS concept, its various functions, their advantages, and why xLS has been chosen as the standard for flying straight approaches on Airbus aircraft. It addresses operational and training considerations and highlights the benefits of using xLS. It also explains how to retrofit the xLS functions to take advantage of this innovation on earlier produced aircraft.
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