GAO RELEASES REPORT ON FAA OVERSIGHT OF AIRLINES

Details: Published: July 18, 2013

Highlights Need for Complete Implementation of ATOS,
Staffing, Training

WASHINGTON, DC—The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report recommending that the FAA take the necessary steps to fully implement its Air Transportation Oversight System (ATOS). Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS), the union that represents FAA inspectors, generally agrees with the recommendations of the GAO, especiallythe need for additional inspectors.

The report cites the aviation industry’s outstanding safety record—less than one fatal accident per 5 million flights from 2002 to 2004. “This excellent record is due in large part to the dedication and hard work of FAA inspectors. However, it is imperative that the FAA recognize and take the necessary steps and improvements outlined by the GAO to ensure that the safety of the American flying public is never jeopardized,” said Linda Goodrich, PASS regional vice president.

The GAO report recognizes FAA improvements in identifying risks; yet, it then stipulates that the FAA has no way to evaluate whether the process used to determine risks is effective. “It is ironic that the GAO sees improvement at the FAA when it states that the FAA has failed to implement an evaluative process in place to measure such improvement, said Goodrich.

The report also finds that increased workload and limited staffing is greatly hindering inspector’s ability to adequately oversee the airlines, stating that 11 of 13 field inspections offices cited shortages of various inspectors. “The solution is simple,” said Goodrich. “The FAA needs to hire and properly train additional inspectors. The GAO states that non-legacy air carriers carried over 200 million passengers in 2004. How can we be expected to keep pace with the fast growth of this industry when the FAA is actively chipping away at vital resources such as staffing?”

Additionally, the report reinforces the need for sufficient training, which was the subject of a GAO report published in June (see GAO report 05-728), and cites inspector dissatisfaction with scope, breadth and timeliness of training given. “Adequate and timely training is imperative for these inspectors to continue to provide the highest level of safety oversight,” said Goodrich.

PASS is pleased to see the GAO again drawing attention to the need for additional inspector staffing. The GAO recognizes the risk of low inspector staffing when it comes to aviation safety,” said Goodrich. “We can only hope that the FAA is finally listening.”

The full GAO report can be viewed at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05726.pdf.

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PASS represents more than 11,000 employees of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense who install, maintain, support and certify air traffic control and national defense equipment, inspect and oversee the commercial and general aviation industries, develop flight procedures and perform quality analyses of the aviation systems. For more information, visit the PASS website at www.passnational.org.