Young, Mica, Clarify Intent On Repair Station Security Legislation

Representative Don Young (R-AK, right), Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, along with Representative John Mica (R-FL, below, right), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, sent a letter to TSA Acting Administrator David Stone stating that repair stations conducting work on aircraft certificated under Parts 135 and 91 should not be subject to the same security requirements as those performing maintenance on Part 121 aircraft.

The letter, sent on June 29 at the request of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA), serves to clarify the intent of Congress regarding a mandate for aircraft repair station security regulations that was contained within the "Vision 100 - Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act."

Section 611 of Vision 100 requires the TSA to issue regulations to strengthen the security of foreign and domestic repair stations. In the letter, Chairmen Young and Mica stated that Congress did not intend to have repair stations that work exclusively on Part 135 and Part 91 aircraft regulated in the same manner as those that perform maintenance on Part 121 aircraft. With thousands of these general aviation repair stations located at sites miles from any airport, Young and Mica argued that these stations "do not pose any direct threat to civil aviation." Proposed regulations are still being formulated by the TSA.

"We are very pleased that Chairmen Young and Mica recognize the unique nature of repair stations that work only on Part 135 and 91 aircraft," stated James K. Coyne, NATA President. "Now that the precise intentions of Congress in crafting the legislation have been expressed, the TSA will be able to follow the mandate of strengthening security at aircraft repair stations without a 'one-size-fits-all' approach."

FMI: Letter To Admiral Stone