Say The Agency Is Deficient In Its Oversight Of Foreign Aircraft Repair Stations

U.S. Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Rick Larsen (D-WA) have sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao slamming the Department for failing to finalize a rule requiring drug and alcohol testing for safety-sensitive workers at certificated foreign aircraft repair stations who perform extensive maintenance and repair work on U.S.-registered commercial aircraft.

Rep. Larsen is the senior Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee's subcommittee on aviation. Rep. DeFazio is the senior minority member of the full committee.

“The only thing consistent about the FAA’s oversight of these FAA-certificated facilities—which number more than 700 abroad—is its inconsistency, leaving far too many stones unturned. We therefore are utterly confused by and disappointed with the FAA’s failure to finalize a rule requiring that workers at foreign repair stations be subject to screening for alcohol and controlled substance use—just as workers at U.S. facilities are—despite two explicit Congressional mandates directing the FAA to act,” DeFazio and Larsen wrote.

According to a 2009 DOT Inspector General (IG) report, the FAA’s oversight of foreign repair stations has “significant weaknesses” and is “not robust enough to ensure that outsourced repairs meet FAA standards.” A DOT IG report in 2013 found that the FAA’s oversight “lacks the rigor needed to identify deficiencies and verify that they have been addressed.”  In fact, in reports and Congressional testimony dating back to at least 2003, the Inspector General has found major deficiencies in the FAA’s oversight of foreign repair stations that perform maintenance on U.S. airlines’ fleets. In response to the DOT IG’s findings, Congress has twice passed provisions directing the FAA to issue a rule requiring that safety-sensitive employees at FAA-certificated foreign repair stations undergo drug and alcohol testing. FAA has failed to finalize that rule.

DeFazio and Larsen wrote that it is unacceptable that the FAA has abdicated its responsibility to the more than 800 million passengers who fly on U.S. airlines each year. Until this rule is complete, they will continue pressing DOT to act and will pursue any legislative solutions available that can address the Department’s inaction.

(Source: Congressman Larsen news release. Image from file)

FMI: larsen.house.gov, defazio.house.gov