The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will consider a bill introduced by its chairman, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), this week, which intends to strengthen Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight of repair stations beyond United States borders.
The Safe Aircraft Maintenance Standards Act seeks to raise aviation safety standards through increased governmental supervision. Beyond extending the FAA’s reach overall, it will increase the minimum qualifications for mechanics and others working on U.S.-registered aircraft abroad, demanding they meet FAA certifications regardless of location. Unannounced FAA inspections would be made possible, with at least one being required each year. No new foreign repair stations could be certified, either, if the FAA fails to implement congressional mandates within a year.
While this will add layers of supervision, for DeFazio, the matter is actually a simplification, uniting safety standards under a single unifying banner, rather than varying by location.
“We’re at an unfortunate moment in our aviation system’s history where safety standards are being questioned, and the bottom line is, safety has to be the number one priority,” DeFazio said. “For years I’ve pressed FAA officials to heed the warnings from its own Inspector General and to do more to close the gap between our safety standards and those of foreign repair stations. The bill I’m introducing today does just that by establishing one standard of safety regardless of where the aircraft is maintained.”
If the bill passes, it would also demand a trove of new data for housing at the FAA. Air carriers would need to submit detailed, monthly maintenance reports to the FAA alongside existing data inputs, which the agency would be required to analyze to detect safety issues. The FAA itself would also have to set up an archive of these carriers’ heavy maintenance history, broken down by various safety personnel metrics, location and aircraft registration numbers.
The legislation has the support of several aviation industry organizations, including the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, Consumer Reports, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, National Consumers League, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, Transport Workers Union of America and Transportation Trades Department.
“The FAA’s claimed ‘single standard’ is a myth,” William J. McGee, Aviation Adviser for Consumer Reports, said. “In reality, there is a different set of rules for foreign repair stations, which often employ … poorly trained, and inadequately screened workers. What’s more, FAA inspectors aren’t providing the same level of hands-on oversight. We commend Chairman DeFazio for acting to fix this fundamental aircraft safety issue, and we hope it gets swift consideration.”