Staten Island Reporter

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) has commended the House's passage of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act, which includes provisions she co-sponsored with Rep. Marc Molinaro (NY-19). The legislation aims to enhance airline maintenance and safety standards while protecting American jobs. The bill received overwhelming bipartisan support in both the House and Senate and is expected to be signed into law by President Biden before the upcoming Friday deadline.

The act incorporates language from the Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvement Act, which Malliotakis championed alongside members of the New York Congressional Delegation, Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen, and Aviation Maintenance Technicians. This collaboration was highlighted at a press conference held at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The FAA Reauthorization Act will standardize safety for aircraft maintenance work by implementing:

- Drug and alcohol testing for safety-sensitive personnel

- Background checks for workers at maintenance facilities

- Security threat assessments for foreign facilities

- Unannounced inspections for maintenance operations

- Minimum qualifications for aircraft mechanics

"Enhancing aviation safety and encouraging good-paying jobs on U.S. soil has been a top priority of ours and I'm pleased to see our commonsense language included in the final passage of this bill," Malliotakis said. "This legislation will stop the bleeding of American maintenance jobs to foreign countries like China, and give passengers and flight crews peace of mind, knowing the best practices and safety standards are being met to ensure the highest level of safety and reliability on every flight."

There are currently over 900 FAA-certified maintenance and repair stations outside the United States that do not have to meet equivalent standards as their U.S. counterparts. The number of these foreign facilities has increased by more than 30% in the past four years in countries worldwide, including China, Singapore, Brazil, Thailand, Costa Rica, and El Salvador.

American mechanics, technicians, and pilots have expressed concern over substandard and incorrect maintenance on aircraft serviced at these foreign facilities. Issues reported include critical engine components held together with tape and wire, incorrectly installed exterior doors leading to mid-flight cabin depressurization, aircraft coated with flammable paint, and instances of drug smuggling in aircraft noses, wheel wells, avions, and lavatory panels.