Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Airplanes

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A330-200, Model A330-300, Model A340-200, and Model A340- 300 series airplanes. This AD requires an inspection to determine the part number and serial number of certain escape slides on the left and right sides of the airplane, and replacement if necessary. This AD was prompted by a report indicating that the aspirator on certain escape slides might have been damaged because of incorrect packing during overhaul. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct damaged aspirators on escape slides. Failure of an aspirator to inflate an escape slide could prevent deployment of the escape slide during an emergency, possibly resulting in reduced evacuation capacity from the airplane and consequent injury to occupants.