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 repair stations with those in the U.S., mandating stricter oversight, background checks, and annual inspections.
Congress also advanced the National Center for the Advancement of Aviation Act of 2022 to create a national recruitment and retention center, alongside FAA task force recommendations, aiming to develop and attract new talent to the aviation workforce.

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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.