The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) has told the Obama administration that legislation pending on Capitol Hill threatens to undermine the global competitiveness of the U.S. aerospace industry.
In a letter sent recently to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, ARSA Executive Vice President Christian Klein warned that proposed language in the FAA reauthorization bill will obstruct aviation maintenance exports and hinder the ability of U.S. companies to compete internationally. In a recent visit to the Boeing maintenance facility at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, Secretary Clinton acknowledged aerospace is the United States’ leading export.
Klein praised the Obama administration’s commitment to strengthening the U.S. economy through the National Export Initiative (NEI), but said the pending legislation is contrary to that effort.
ARSA asserts that provisions in the House legislation requiring the FAA to inspect foreign repair stations twice annually and imposing mandatory drug and alcohol testing on overseas repair stations will violate international accords, resulting in retaliatory measures by key trading partners. Furthermore, the House bill fails to recognize a longstanding U.S.-Canada Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA), which treats certification granted by Transport Canada to an Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) as the equivalent of FAA approval.
In the letter, Klein urged Clinton to weigh-in with Congress and “ensure that the requirements and recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) be allowed to dictate international safety and security laws and regulations.”
Click here to read the full text of the letter.
ARSA is an Alexandria, Virginia-based trade association that represents aviation maintenance and manufacturing companies. For more information: ARSA.org
Janice…
Great article! This legislation and the TSA’s proposed rule come at a time when we’re still digging ourselves out of an economic hole. The last thing that needs to be put at risk is U.S. jobs and competitiveness in the international aviation market.
For any security program to be effective it must be applied equally to all. The BASA agreement you mention is a major loophole that is not addressed in the legislation and TSA’s Aircraft Repair Station Security Program NPRM. Have people forgotten that the Millennium Bomber–caught by a US Customs Agent in Port Angeles, Washington– attempted entry into the US by way of Canada?
These federal efforts at regulating security are hasty attempts at finding quick security solutions and do not take into account the world as it really is. Our general aviation community must remain vigilant. Thanks once again for a great article.
Cheers from the Alamo,
Dave