Proposed legislation that would impose new demands on the US Federal Aviation Administration came in for stinging criticism at Aviation Week's MRO Europe show in London yesterday.
Following last week's extension of the regulator's temporary funding, the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) launched a fresh attack on the FAA reauthorisation bill, which it deems an attempt to "micro-manage" a sophisticated industry.
Executive director Sarah MacLeod expressed opposition to provisions which would create a requirement for twice-yearly inspections of foreign repair stations, mandate drug and alcohol testing of station employees, and narrow the definition of who can perform "covered maintenance".
Noting a difference in how the inspection clause is worded in the House and Senate versions of the bills, MacLeod stressed: "Both versions suck, in my opinion."
In her criticism of the drug and alcohol testing provisions, she emphasised that she was not against such testing per se, only "extreme" measures that brought "no improvement in safety".
ARSA is urging players in the global MRO industry - not just the US sector - to join efforts to persuade legislators to vote down the bill, which MacLeod characterised as being "sponsored by labour", asserting that "unions bring a lot of money and give a lot of votes".
It would be "nuts" for a $55 billion industry to fail to support lobbying efforts, she added.
During her own presentation, the manager of the FAA's aircraft maintenance division Carol Giles proposed conversations between the European Aviation Safety Agency and its US counterpart on sharing safety oversight data, saying such a dialogue would be "a beautiful thing".
However, this proposal "might not go over too well with legislators" at this point in time, Giles acknowledged.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
