Introduction of Aircraft Maintenance Outsourcing Disclosure Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Speaker, today I reintroduce the Aircraft Maintenance Outsourcing Disclosure Act. I want to thank Congressmen Lee M. Zeldin (R-NY) and Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA) for their support as original cosponsors.

Our bipartisan legislation would require airlines to disclose the maintenance history for their aircraft fleets, specifically the location and date an aircraft underwent heavy maintenance. Airlines would be required to post this information online, distribute it with tickets, and communicate it to passengers upon request.

Airlines would also be required to report to a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) database that tracks the maintenance history of their aircraft fleets. This public database will also indicate whether maintenance was conducted in the United States or abroad; by FAA- certified mechanics or not; or by airline employees or third-party contractors.

Recent airline incidents raise serious concerns about the increasing trend of maintenance being outsourced, particularly to countries in Central America and Southeast Asia. Foreign outsourcers do not have to be FAA-certified and are not subject to the drug and alcohol testing required in the United States for mechanics. Outsourcing has eliminated thousands of middle-class jobs in the United States and created significant safety concerns for passengers.

Airline passengers have the right to know if planes are serviced by qualified mechanics in the United States, or whether maintenance is outsourced to foreign countries with lower safety standards. Our bipartisan bill prioritizes transparency for passengers and supports the creation of new middle-class jobs in the United States.

Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to join us in cosponsoring the Aircraft Maintenance Outsourcing Disclosure Act.

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