More Than 800 To Return To Work This Week

The FAA has apparently taken notice of some of the messages sent by various airlines and aviation advocacy groups, saying Tuesday that more than 800 furloughed aircraft and airline inspectors will be returning to work.

The inspectors had been deemed "nonessential" when the partial government shutdown took effect October 1. Forbes reports that in a statement, the agency said it is "constantly evaluating safety risk. As the government shutdown continues, the agency will determine whether additional employees need to be recalled to provide oversight of potential risk.”

The FAA employs 3,000 safety inspectors. They were among the 15,514 FAA employees placed on unpaid furlough when Congress could not agree on a budget.

Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS), National President Mike Perrone released a statement regarding the recall, saying the union appreciates the FAA working within the constraints of the government shutdown to bring back critical safety employees.

"But we stand firm in the belief that all 3,000 aviation safety inspectors need to be back on the job immediately. The United States currently boasts the safest aviation system in the world. This reputation is upheld by key players throughout the aviation industry doing their part to uphold one level of safety. Sidelining aviation safety inspectors, who are crucial employees, for even a day is unacceptable and exposes the aviation system to unnecessary risk. 

"Before this shutdown, understaffing of the aviation safety inspector workforce was a serious issue; now, for every minute these inspectors are off the job, the backlog of their oversight and surveillance continues to grow," Perrone said. "As we enter the second week of the government shutdown, Congress must immediately work to end the shutdown and put an end to undermining the critical work these inspectors perform.”

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.passnational.org