FAA Sets New Cockpit Voice Recorder Standard

Final rule outlines phased compliance tied to operating rules, passenger seats, and takeoff weight.

Matt Ryan

Monday, February 02, 2026 at 03:15 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

A cockpit voice recorder [Credit: National Park Service]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has finalized a rule mandating that newly manufactured aircraft equipped with cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) must retain recordings for 25 hours, a significant increase from the previous two-hour duration.
This change aims to enhance aviation safety by providing accident investigators with more comprehensive data for determining incident causes, aligning U.S. requirements with international standards and NTSB recommendations.
Compliance for the new 25-hour CVR requirement is staggered, beginning May 2025 for certain large aircraft and extending to other CVR-equipped aircraft by February 2029, based on factors like passenger capacity and weight.

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The FAA published a finalized rule Monday that extends required cockpit voice recorder retention from two hours to 25 hours. This new requirement will apply to newly manufactured aircraft already subject to CVR equipage requirements.

The rule, first proposed in 2023, is intended to preserve additional flight deck audio for incident and accident investigations and aligns U.S. requirements more closely with existing international standards, the final rule said.