FAA proposes $162,500 penalty against Airbus Defence and Space

WASHINGTON, DC – The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes a $162,500 civil penalty against Airbus Defence and Space of Madrid, Spain, for allegedly violating the Hazardous Materials Regulations.

The FAA alleges that on May 25, 2015, Airbus knowingly offered an undeclared hazardous material for shipment on a passenger-carrying aircraft from Seville, Spain, to Miami, Fla. The shipment contained two Protective Breathing Equipment Units, each of which contained a chemical oxygen generator. The chemical is an oxidizer, which can cause or enhance the combustion of other materials. The Hazardous Materials Regulations prohibit transporting these devices as cargo on passenger-carrying aircraft.

After arriving in Miami, the shipment was offered undeclared to Federal Express for overnight shipping by air from Miami to Lenexa, Kan.

The FAA alleges the shipment was not accompanied by shipping papers indicating the hazardous nature of the contents and was not properly packaged, marked, or labeled. The agency also alleges Airbus failed to provide emergency response information with the shipment.
Airbus has 30 days from receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency.