In case you missed it, earlier this week, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) finally issued the repair station security regulations over a decade after Congress first mandated the rules.

While the regulation was a solution in search of problem, the negative impact of the congressionally imposed ban on FAA foreign repair stations necessitated the association pushing for the completion of an unnecessary rule. ARSA pushed the agency to act, but we weren’t going to wait around. Consequently, the association and its members led the way on Capitol Hill pushing for Congress to “lift the ban” on foreign repair station certifications.  Industry should never have been punished for agency inaction and prohibiting the FAA from doing its job because TSA couldn’t finish the rule was terrible policy.

Lift the ban legislation was never formally introduced in Congress; however, if it wasn’t for the association and its members educating lawmakers and pushing for legislative action, we would still be waiting for the final rule.  Pressure on Congress by ARSA members resulted in numerous letters to TSA and DHS and questions at hearings.  The threat of legislative action meant TSA had to act and it finally did.

Thank you to all the ARSA members that participated in the lift the ban campaign.  Without your efforts and the pressure you placed on Congress, there is no doubt we’d be still be sitting here waiting for the rule as industry remained penalized by government inaction.