AD/GENERAL/52 - Bonding - Modification - CANCELLED

This document officially cancels an old aircraft safety rule (Airworthiness Directive 52) that dated back to 1976.

What the old rule required: Aircraft had to have a proper method to electrically connect (bond) refuelling equipment to the plane's body at every fuel tank filling point. This prevents static electricity sparks that could ignite fuel vapours during refuelling.

Why it is being cancelled: These safety requirements are now covered by newer regulations — specifically Civil Aviation Order 20.9 (operational rules) and modern aircraft design standards. Since the same safety protections exist elsewhere, this specific directive is redundant.

What this means: As of 20 December 2007, aircraft operators and maintainers no longer need to comply with this specific directive, provided they follow the current design standards and CAO 20.9 that cover the same issue.