The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) final repair station security rules will be issued on January 13, 2014. This action brings an end to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ban on certificating new foreign repair stations. The news was well received by aviation associations on Friday when the news was delivered by TSA.
“We appreciate the leadership of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson in making the finalization of the repair station security rule one of his first priorities in office,” said Pete Bunce, President and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). “We also appreciate the work of Transportation Security Administration Administrator John Pistole and his staff over many years to bring the repair station rule into existence. By finally putting this rule into place, the U.S. government is ending a decade of bureaucratic inaction, establishing a risk-based security requirement for repair stations and making it easier for U.S. businesses to access and support markets throughout the world.”
According to the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA), the final regulation will be significantly narrower in scope from the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) TSA issued on Nov. 18, 2009. In a call with industry stakeholders, agency officials outlined the final rule, which will be implemented within 45 days and doesn’t mandate any new security programs or plans.
“While ARSA commends TSA for heeding industry input and narrowing the scope of the regulation, it’s a shame the agency took so long to issue what appears to be straightforward,” ARSA Executive Director Sarah MacLeod said. “The association looks forward to immediately working with the FAA to begin the process of certificating new foreign repair stations so aviation maintenance companies can continue to create jobs and expand markets.”
The full rule text is available at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2014-00415.pdf
