On March 29, Senate aviation leaders delivered a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, urging completion of repair station security rules to “address the economic consequences of government inaction to industry.”

The letter was signed by Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), ranking member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), and Senate Aviation Subcommittee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.).

Since August 2008, Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) failure to finalize repair station security rules has prohibited the FAA from certificating new foreign repair stations. Congress first mandated the TSA create the rules in 2003. In a reply to ARSA’s November 2011 letter noting the ban’s negative consequences for the aviation industry, TSA Administrator John Pistole said the agency hoped to finalize repair station security rules during the fourth quarter of 2012. The senators requested that DHS expedite the rule and complete it before that date.

ARSA commends the senators for their leadership in urging TSA to finalize the repair station security rules. However, the Association believes industry has been waiting too long for the rules and that Congress should affirmatively “lift the ban” on foreign repair station certificates in light of TSA’s inaction.

~~~ posted 4/3/12 ~~~

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