The Air Navigation Order 1989

Exits and break-in markings

49.—(1) This article shall apply to every public transport aircraft registered in the United Kingdom.

(2) Whenever an aircraft to which this article applies is carrying passengers, every exit therefrom and every internal door in the aircraft shall be in working order, and during take-off and landing and during any emergency, every such exit and door shall be kept free of obstruction and shall not be fastened by locking or otherwise so as to prevent, hinder or delay its use by passengers:

Provided that:

(a) an exit may be obstructed by cargo if it is an exit which, in accordance with arrangements approved by the Authority either generally or in relation to a class of aircraft or a particular aircraft, is not required for use by passengers;

(b) a door between the flight crew compartment and any adjacent compartment to which passengers have access may be locked or bolted if the commander of the aircraft so determines, for the purpose of preventing access by passengers to the flight crew compartment; and

(c) nothing in this paragraph shall apply to any internal door which is so placed that it cannot prevent, hinder or delay the exit of passengers from the aircraft in an emergency if it is not in working order.

(3) Every exit from the aircraft shall be marked with the words “Exit” or “Emergency Exit” in capital letters.

(4) (a) Every exit from the aircraft shall be marked with instructions in English and with diagrams, to indicate the correct method of opening the exit.

(b) The markings shall be placed on or near the inside surface of the door or other closure of the exit and, if it is openable from the outside of the aircraft, on or near the exterior surface.

(5) (a) Every aircraft to which this article applies, being an aircraft of which the maximum total weight authorised exceeds 3600kg., shall be marked upon the exterior surface of its fuselage with markings to show the areas (in this paragraph referred to as “break-in areas”) which can, for purposes of rescue in an emergency, be most readily and effectively broken into by persons outside the aircraft.

(b) The break-in areas shall be rectangular in shape and shall be marked by right-angled corner markings, each arm of which shall be 10 centimetres in length along its outer edge and 2.5 centimetres in width.

(c) The words “Cut Here in Emergency” shall be marked across the centre of each break-in area in capital letters.

(6) On every flight by an aircraft to which this article applies, being an aircraft of which the maximum total weight authorised exceeds 5700kg. every exit from such an aircraft intended to be used by passengers in an emergency shall be marked upon the exterior of the aircraft by a band not less than 5 centimetres in width outlining the exit.

(7) The markings required by this article shall:

(a) be painted, or affixed by other equally permanent means;

(b) except in the case of the markings required by paragraph (6) of this article, be red in colour, and in any case in which the colour of the adjacent background is such as to render red markings not readily visible, be outlined in white or some other contrasting colour in such a manner as to render them readily visible;

(c) in the case of the markings required by paragraph (6) of this article, be of a colour clearly contrasting with the background on which it appears; and

(d) be kept at all times clean and unobscured.

(8) If one, but not more than one, exit from an aircraft becomes inoperative at a place where it is not reasonably practicable for it to be repaired or replaced, nothing in this article shall prevent that aircraft from carrying passengers until it next lands at a place where the exit can be repaired or replaced:

Provided that:

(a) the number of passengers carried and the position of the seats which they occupy is in accordance with arrangements approved by the Authority either in relation to the particular aircraft or to a class of aircraft; and

(b) in accordance with arrangements so approved, the exit is fastened by locking or otherwise, the words “Exit” or “Emergency Exit” are covered, and the exit is marked by a red disc at least 23 centimetres in diameter with a horizontal white bar across it bearing the words “No Exit” in red letters.