As the United States commemorates the nation’s independence, we need to remind lawmakers that policies initiated in our nation’s capital are preventing aviation maintenance companies and their employees from celebrating. In order for America’s aviation sector to enjoy continued growth, the FAA must be permitted to certificate new foreign repair stations.

VISION-100 (FAA reauthorization legislation enacted in 2003) required TSA to issue security rules for all repair stations by August 2004. When TSA failed to meet that deadline in 2007, lawmakers demanded the security regulations be completed by August 2008. The penalty for failure to comply: the FAA would be prohibited from issuing new foreign repair station certifications.

Nearly 10 years later, TSA has failed to issue final repair station security regulations and the FAA prohibition has been in effect for over four years. TSA made commitments to complete the rule numerous times in the past, but always fails to meet its deadline. Meanwhile, U.S.-based aerospace companies are prevented from tapping into rapidly expanding overseas markets, stifling job creation and growth for an industry that contributes $47 billion per year of total U.S. economic impact and employs 306,000 U.S. workers.

Even if you’re not looking to open an overseas repair station, you should be concerned. The longer the ban is in place the greater the chance that foreign civil aviation authorities will retaliate by refusing to issue certifications to U.S. repair stations, which will hinder the ability of companies to service overseas customers. That would certainly put a damper on the festivities.

It’s a losing situation for the entire aviation maintenance industry and ARSA is now working with lawmakers in Washington to resolve the issue. It’s time for Congress to fix the problem they created and we need your help. Visit ARSAaction.org to sign your name to a pre-written letter to your lawmakers asking them to work with their colleagues to restore the FAA’s ability to certificate new foreign repair stations. Please pass the link to your coworkers, friends, family, employees, and customers.

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