FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Denise Romano, 202-826-7072, dromano@twu.org
July 17, 2019
TWU President Samuelsen Blasts Maintenance Offshoring, Toxic Cabin Air at ‘State of Aviation Safety’ Hearing
TWU International President John Samuelsen joined a panel of labor leaders at the “State of Aviation Safety” House Subcommittee Hearing on Wednesday, July 17, sharing frontline workers’ views on aviation safety. During the hearing, Samuelsen highlighted the negative effect offshoring of maintenance work for U.S-based aircraft is having on safety, as well as the threat of toxic cabin air.
Foreign Repair and Maintenance Facilities
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that all U.S.-flagged commercial aircraft be maintained to the same standard. However, the FAA has exempted maintenance work done outside of the country from many safety standards.
“The result is a two-tiered safety system that encourages airlines to offshore more and more work – introducing more risk in our aviation system,” Samuelsen explained.
Foreign repair stations are exempt from regulations requiring:
- Mandatory security background checks for workers;
- Risk-based safety and security evaluations for facilities;
- Drug and alcohol testing;
- Unannounced FAA inspections; and
- FAA certification standards for mechanics and technicians.
Twice in the past decade, Congress has already directed both the FAA and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to address several of these safety gaps but received no action.
“The FAA’s delays led a boom for foreign repair stations,” Samuelsen explained, noting that the number of foreign facilities has grown by more than 30 percent in only the past four years.
Today, there are 900 FAA-certified foreign repair stations. On top of that, DOT data shows that the three leading U.S. airlines sent about 30 percent of their maintenance work to foreign facilities.
“American mechanics, technicians, and pilots are alarmed by the incompetent work and nefarious actions performed on aircraft maintained outside of the U.S.,” Samuelsen testified. Their discoveries have included:
- Critical engine components held together with tape and wire;
- Mid-flight cabin depressurization caused by incorrectly installed exterior door parts;
- Aircraft covered with flammable paint; and
- Drug smuggling in aircraft noses, wheel wells, avionics, and lavatory panels.
“The country with the most FAA-certified foreign repair stations is China – and that raises significant cyber and other security questions,” he noted.
This un-level playing field for safety regulations is also costing American jobs: 8,200 aircraft maintenance jobs have left the country in recent years.
“The job loss isn’t caused by lower wages or skills, the biggest factor is regulatory loopholes that let airlines cut costs by diminishing safety. We often hear that airlines ‘do not compete on safety,’” Samuelsen explained. “Congress and the Administration have to live up to this ideal by immediately closing all the loopholes that encourage moving maintenance work outside of the country.”
Toxic Cabin Air
The TWU is also concerned about the quality of air onboard our aircrafts. Because the atmosphere surrounding aircraft at 40,000 feet above sea level is too thin to breathe, modern aircraft heat air from around the wings over the engines and then compress that air before circulating it into the cabin. This process of “bleeding” air from around the plane exposes TWU crew member and the traveling public to unhealthy toxins.
However, when this process malfunctions, engine oil, hydraulic fuel and other aircraft fluids can leak into the system. These liquids become gas, turning into nerve agents that can cause respiratory, neurological and psychiatric symptoms – and can be absorbed both by inhalation and through the skin.
“Repeated or prolonged exposure to these agents – such as that endured by flight attendants, frequent air travelers – can have devastating health effects,” Samuelsen explained.
Aircraft are not yet equipped with sensors to alert the crew when toxic fume events are happening. Reporting and responding to events are extremely difficult. However, due to rising public awareness, these incidents are being reported more and more often.
For more information on the TWU’s Toxic Cabin Air Campaign, visit https://members.twu.org/health-safety/toxic-fume-exposure/.
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The Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, represents over 150,000 members across the airline, railroad, transit, universities, utilities and services sectors.