ARSA Maintains New Regs Add Unnecessary Burden

Representatives with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) tell ANN the union is calling on outsourced aircraft repair shops to stop fighting a recent FAA ruling that subjects them to the same drug and alcohol testing as aircraft mechanics directly employed by US airlines.

The move comes after the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA), a trade association representing 690 outsourced repair shops, filed the Petition for Review with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit seeking a review of the regulations, which extend drug and alcohol testing to subcontractors at any tier of the maintenance process.

"ARSA's placing its economic self-interest above public safety," said AMFA National Safety and Standards Director John Glynn. "The FAA noted that ARSA and other commenters 'did not substantiate their cost concerns with specific data.' Frankly, any contractor who cannot bear the nominal cost to prevent drugged or inebriated workers from performing critical maintenance should not be in the business."

ARSA maintains the new rule is an unnecessary burden that provides no aviation safety-related benefits.

"Certificate holders, including repair stations, are the safety net in FAA's system," said ARSA Executive Director Sarah MacLeod. "They are responsible for inspecting and testing their own work and the work of all subcontractors to ensure airworthiness, and they are required to have FAA-approved drug and alcohol testing programs. Expanding the drug-and-alcohol program requirements below the maintenance tier's certificate-holder level adds only unnecessary costs and complications to a system that already ensures the safety and airworthiness of all work being done on air carrier aircraft."

ARSA states under the FAA's current drug and alcohol testing program rules, employees performing "safety-sensitive" functions for air carriers, either directly or by contract, must be part of an FAA-approved testing program.

In its ruling, the FAA said, "We do not believe we should wait until there is an actual loss of human life before we take action to ensure the remaining subcontractors who are not already subjected to testing are brought into compliance with the regulations. Only one link in the safety chain would have to fail for an accident to occur."

"It's shocking that the aircraft Americans fly on are increasingly being worked on by individuals whose backgrounds have never been checked for drug and alcohol abuse. Safety measures that were once accepted industry practices are now being discarded in the zeal to reduce costs," said Glynn. "Cost is important but should never trump the safety of the flying public."

A December 2005 report from the Department of Transportation's Inspector General said that the FAA needed to extend its oversight to noncertificated shops, which originally were intended to perform only minor and emergency repairs, because airlines are increasingly using these facilities for critical repairs including engine replacement.

With over 16,000 members AMFA represents aircraft maintenance technicians and related support personnel with over 16,000 members at carriers including Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Northwest Airlines, ATA, Horizon and Mesaba Airlines.

FMI: www.amfanatl.org, www.arsa.org