In a letter to Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL), Chairman of the House Aviation Sub Committee, the Teamsters have joined with the TWU in recognizing the Congressman’s call for follow up review by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) regarding the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) oversight of repair stations.
“In the last ten years, there has been a tremendous surge in the outsourcing of aircraft maintenance work to contractors both within the United States and increasingly abroad. At the same time the number of maintenance employees per aircraft by the largest U.S. airlines has declined precipitously. These facilities provide safety – critical repairs on U.S. aircraft.
The regulatory environment has simply not kept pace with these rapid changes in a manner sufficient to ensure the continued preeminence of the safety record of the U.S. airline industry,” the letter said. “Especially, with respect to maintenance performed at non-certified repair facilities, by unlicensed mechanics, in facilities where FAA inspectors lack ready access or do not send inspectors at the same rate and in facilities that do not have the same security and drug and alcohol testing standards as in-house domestic facilities. These discrepancies could threaten the safety of passengers and crew on U.S. domestic flights, as well as non-flying members of the public.”
“It is our collective view, that in order to pre-empt serious incidents, accidents or terror attacks, the FAA should adopt a single standard of safety principle, applicable to all repair stations and mechanics performing work on U.S. aircraft, whether operated by airlines or contractors in the United States or abroad. Together, the IBT and TWU represent the majority of Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMT’s) at the largest U.S. carriers. As such, we have a vested stake and keen interest in this audit and its findings. We would appreciate the opportunity to participate or assist in this process if requested,” it concluded.
