Outsourced Aircraft Repair Shops Must Stop Fighting FAA Ruling on Drug and Alcohol Testing, AMFA Says.

WASHINGTON -- For the sake of public safety, outsourced aircraft repair shops must stop fighting the recent FAA ruling that subjects them to the same drug and alcohol testing as aircraft mechanics directly employed by U.S. airlines, according to the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA).

Last Friday, the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA), a trade association representing 690 outsourced repair shops, asked a U.S. court to block the FAA ruling slated to take effect on April 10. Citing added costs, ARSA said, "We do not believe the safety net needs to go beneath us."

"ARSA's placing its economic self-interest above public safety," said AMFA National Safety and Standards Director John Glynn. "The FAA noted that ARSA and other commenters 'did not substantiate their cost concerns with specific data.' Frankly, any contractor who cannot bear the nominal cost to prevent drugged or inebriated workers from performing critical maintenance should not be in the business."

In its ruling, the FAA said, "We do not believe we should wait until there is an actual loss of human life before we take action to ensure the remaining subcontractors who are not already subjected to testing are brought into compliance with the regulations. Only one link in the safety chain would have to fail for an accident to occur."

"It's shocking that the aircraft Americans fly on are increasingly being worked on by individuals whose backgrounds have never been checked for drug and alcohol abuse. Safety measures that were once accepted industry practices are now being discarded in the zeal to reduce costs," said Glynn. "Cost is important but should never trump the safety of the flying public."

A December 2005 report from the Department of Transportation's Inspector General said that the FAA needed to extend its oversight to non-certificated shops, which originally were intended to perform only minor and emergency repairs, because airlines are increasingly using these facilities for critical repairs including engine replacement.

AMFA's craft union is the largest labor organization in the airline industry representing aircraft maintenance technicians and related support personnel with over 16,000 members at carriers including Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Northwest Airlines, ATA, Horizon and Mesaba Airlines. AMFA's credo is "Safety in the air begins with Quality Maintenance on the Ground". To learn more about AMFA, visit: www.amfanatl.org.