The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest business advocacy group, has joined ARSA in urging lawmakers to end the prohibition on the FAA’s certification of new foreign repair stations.

“Put simply, the ban is hindering the competitiveness of the U.S. aerospace industry,” the Chamber’s President & CEO Thomas Donohue said in its Feb. 13 written testimony to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.

Congress prohibited the FAA from approving new foreign repair station certificate applications submitted after Aug. 3, 2008 because the TSA had not finalized repair station security rules first mandated by Congress in 2003.

In his testimony, Donohue highlighted several challenges facing America’s transportation sectors. While recognizing the need for a strong federal role in modernizing aviation infrastructure, the Chamber urged the government to ensure that its policies do not undermine operational freedom.

Chief among the Chamber’s recommendations for encouraging growth in the aviation sector was a call for the Transportation Security Administration to issue the repair station security rules, or for Congress to affirmatively lift the ban “so that the industry is no longer punished for bureaucratic inaction.” The testimony noted that the TSA’s failure to issue security rules hurts U.S. aviation companies by preventing companies from tapping into expanding overseas markets.

“The U.S. aviation maintenance industry is paying the price for TSA inaction and congressional micromanagement,” said ARSA Vice President of Legislative Affairs Daniel Fisher. “ARSA is pleased the Chamber has made this a priority and looks forward to working with our allies to end this disastrous policy.”

ARSA is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and serves on its Transportation Infrastructure and Logistics Committee. Be sure to tell your lawmakers about the negative impact the ban has on the aviation industry by sending a note through ARSAaction.org.

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