CASA EX11/1997 - Illumination of emergency exits on certain aircraft

This is a specific exemption issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) that allows two Australian airlines—Kendell Airlines and Hazelton Airlines—to turn off the emergency exit lights on their SAAB SF340 aircraft while passengers are still on board, but only when the plane is on the ground with its engines turned off.

Normally, aviation rules require emergency exit lighting to stay on whenever passengers are on board. This exemption relaxes that rule for these specific aircraft, but with strict safety conditions:

• A pilot must be in the cockpit OR a flight attendant must be at their station whenever the lights are off, so someone can immediately turn the emergency lights back on if needed
• The emergency lighting batteries must always be fully charged and ready to go at a moment's notice

This exemption recognises that these particular aircraft are often used for short regional flights where keeping engines running while on the ground is impractical, but ensures passenger safety isn't compromised by requiring crew presence and system readiness.