A new legislation has been proposed by the chairman of the US House Transportation Committee that would change the Federal Aviation Authority’s (FAA) oversight of foreign repair stations.
For many years, unions representing US mechanics and aviation safety inspectors have complained about the issue of outsourcing jobs to countries with weaker safety standards.
Currently, the FAA cannot inspect foreign facilities without prior notification; and not all countries require adequate background checks and drug tests for safety-critical personnel.
Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon), chairman of the Transportation Committee and lead-sponsor of the legislation, 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. I look forward to moving this bill through Committee quickly, and ultimately getting it signed into law.”
If it was to become law, the Safe Aircraft Maintenance Standards Act would require all foreign repair stations be subject to at least one unannounced safety inspection each year by the FAA.
It would also establish minimum qualifications for foreign mechanics, including technical fluency in English, completion of FAA testing and demonstration of certain knowledge and skill levels.