House Passes Bill Targeting Foreign Repair Stations

Maintenance bill will hold foreign MROs to equal standards; the workforce bill will launch a new national center to improve recruitment and retention.

Michael Wildes

Monday, October 03, 2022 at 05:11 PM ET

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The Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act seeks to strengthen the FAA’s ability to enforce safety rules on foreign repair stations through annual inspections, mandates, and increased oversight. [Courtesy: Adobe]

Key Takeaways:

House lawmakers passed the Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act to align safety standards and requirements for foreign aircraft repair stations with those in the U.S., addressing concerns about outsourced maintenance and potential safety loopholes.
Another bill, the National Center for the Advancement of Aviation Act of 2022, was advanced to establish a federally chartered center aimed at supporting and growing the civil aviation workforce through recruitment, scholarships, research, and education.
The FAA’s Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force (YIATF) also issued recommendations on how the FAA can better encourage young people to pursue careers in aviation, including removing financial barriers and developing early credentialing programs.

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House lawmakers have passed a series of bills targeting the safety records of foreign repair stations in legislation geared toward improving aviation safety standards and developing the aviation workforce.

Some U.S. airlines outsource heavy maintenance work to aeronautical repair stations outside the U.S.—including facilities in El Salvador, Mexico, and China. The problem occurs when standards followed by foreign repair stations don’t match those in the U.S.