A new year brings a new failure from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), as it once again failed to meet its stated deadline to finalize repair station security rules.

In late 2011, TSA Administrator John Pistole said the agency would finalize repair station security rules by the fourth quarter of 2012. ARSA was skeptical, and for good reason. Despite reassuring the Association in a Sept. 2012 letter that TSA was “cognizant of the issues created by the delay” in the repair station security rule and was “working diligently to complete the rulemaking,” the agency was unable to meet its goal.

It has been more than nine years since the repair station security rules were first mandated and over four year since Congress decided to prohibit one federal agency (FAA) from performing its responsibilities because of the inaction of another (TSA). This moratorium has prevented the FAA from issuing new foreign repair station certifications, undermining the competitiveness of the U.S. aerospace industry.

Enough is enough. In 2013 ARSA will be working with lawmakers to lift the ban.

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