FAA Mandates 25-Hour Cockpit Voice Recorder Rule

New regulation requires longer data retention for commercial passenger planes starting in 2027.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 6:07pm

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The Federal Aviation Administration has finalized a rule that will require all new passenger airplanes to be equipped with cockpit voice recorders that can store up to 25 hours of data, a significant increase from the current 2-hour requirement. The change, which takes effect immediately with a compliance window for smaller aircraft, aims to provide more comprehensive data to investigators in the event of an incident or accident.

Why it matters

Cockpit voice recorders are crucial tools for understanding the causes of airplane crashes and other aviation incidents. The expanded 25-hour recording capacity brings the United States in line with many other countries and will give investigators more complete information to work with when analyzing what happened in the moments leading up to an event.

The details

The new FAA rule, which was proposed in 2023, will require all new passenger airplanes to have cockpit voice recorders that can store 25 hours of data starting in 2027. This is a significant increase from the current 2-hour recording loop. The National Transportation Safety Board has been advocating for this change since 2018, arguing that the longer recording time will provide more comprehensive information to aid investigations. Congress also passed separate legislation in 2024 that will mandate the retrofitting of all existing passenger planes with the 25-hour recorders by 2030.

  • The FAA finalized the new rule on January 30, 2026.
  • The 25-hour cockpit voice recorder requirement takes effect immediately, with a 1-3 year compliance window for smaller aircraft.
  • All new passenger airplanes must be equipped with the 25-hour recorders starting in 2027.
  • Congress passed legislation in 2024 requiring all existing passenger planes to be retrofitted with the 25-hour recorders by 2030.

The players

Federal Aviation Administration

The U.S. government agency responsible for the regulation and oversight of civil aviation.

National Transportation Safety Board

An independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation.

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What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This new FAA regulation represents an important step forward in aviation safety, providing investigators with more comprehensive data to determine the causes of incidents and accidents. The longer cockpit voice recorder retention period aligns the United States with global standards and will help improve the overall safety of commercial air travel.