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This guide explains how to configure data retention policies and litigation holds for your PlaneConnection workspace.
This feature requires administrator or workspace owner permissions. Changes made here affect all users in your workspace.
Who should read this: Workspace administrators, compliance officers, and legal counsel responsible for data lifecycle management.Prerequisites: Admin or Account Owner role. Familiarity with your organization’s record retention requirements.

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Why configure data retention

Aviation operators are subject to regulatory record-keeping requirements. Proper data retention policies help you:
  • Meet regulatory mandates — 14 CFR Part 135 requires retention of specific flight records, maintenance logs, and safety data for defined periods.
  • Reduce storage costs — automatically archive or purge data that has exceeded its retention period.
  • Support legal obligations — place litigation holds to prevent destruction of data relevant to legal proceedings.
  • Protect privacy — remove personal data when it is no longer needed, supporting GDPR and other privacy regulations.

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Configure retention policies

Navigate to Settings > Data Retention to manage your workspace’s data lifecycle policies.

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Default retention periods

PlaneConnection provides recommended retention periods based on aviation regulatory requirements:
Data TypeRecommended RetentionRegulatory Basis
Flight records5 years14 CFR 135.63
Crew training records5 years14 CFR 135.63
Maintenance recordsUntil sold14 CFR 91.417
Safety reports5 years14 CFR Part 5 / AC 120-92D
Investigation records5 years14 CFR Part 5
Passenger manifests3 yearsCompany policy (eAPIS: 5 years)
Financial records7 yearsIRS requirements
Audit logs3 yearsCompany policy
The recommended periods are guidelines based on common regulatory requirements. Consult your legal counsel to determine the appropriate retention periods for your specific operation and jurisdiction.

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Customize retention periods

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Select a data category
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On the Data Retention page, click the data category you want to configure.
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Set the retention period
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Choose from predefined periods (1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 7 years, 10 years) or enter a custom period. Select what happens when data reaches the end of its retention period:
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ActionDescriptionArchiveData is moved to cold storage. It can still be retrieved but is not actively searchable.DeleteData is permanently deleted. This action cannot be undone.NotifyA notification is sent to admins for manual review before action is taken.
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Save the policy
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Click Save. The policy takes effect immediately for new data and is applied to existing data during the next scheduled retention review.

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Manage litigation holds

A litigation hold prevents data from being archived or deleted, regardless of retention policies. Use litigation holds when:
  • Your organization receives notice of pending litigation.
  • A regulatory investigation is underway.
  • You need to preserve data for any legal purpose.

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Create a litigation hold

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Go to Settings > Litigation Hold.
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Create a new hold
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Click New Litigation Hold and fill in:
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FieldDescriptionNameDescriptive name (e.g., “FAA Investigation 2026-001”).DescriptionDetails about why the hold is in place.ScopeWhich data types are covered (all, or specific categories).Date rangeThe time period of data to preserve.
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Activate the hold
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Click Activate. All data matching the hold’s scope and date range is protected from retention policy actions.

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Release a litigation hold

  1. Navigate to Settings > Litigation Hold.
  2. Click the hold you want to release.
  3. Click Release Hold and confirm.
  4. Normal retention policies resume for the previously held data.
Only release a litigation hold after receiving written confirmation from legal counsel that the hold is no longer needed. Premature release could result in destruction of legally relevant data.

Manage Privacy

Privacy controls and data subject requests.

Export Data

Export workspace data for compliance or migration.

Data Privacy

How PlaneConnection handles data privacy.
Last modified on April 11, 2026