National Airspace System: Incomplete Transition Back to National Maintenance and Certification Standards in the Federal Aviation Administration's Alaskan Region

摘要

In 1997, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) adopted a pilot program, known as the Corporate Maintenance Philosophy, that reduced the frequency of periodic maintenance and certification in FAA's Alaskan Region. Early in 2001, the Federal Labor Relations Authority ruled that FAA must revert back to the national maintenance and certification standards in the Alaskan Region because FAA had not negotiated an extension of the pilot program with their unions. In March 2001, FAA and two unions representing FAA employees, the Professional Airways Systems Specialists and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, agreed to a deadline - October 1, 2001 - regarding when officials at installations in the Alaskan Region would complete reinstating the national standards for equipment maintenance and certification. One aspect of this transition process involved entering national periodic maintenance and certification standards, specifically those pertaining to the frequency with which equipment should be serviced, into FAA's computerized maintenance management system (MMS). The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure asked GAO to assess the progress of FAA's Alaskan Region in its shift back to national standards. As agreed with the committee, GAO focused its work on the following questions: (1) To what extent has FAA's Alaskan Region incorporated the national periodic maintenance and certification standards for National Airspace System (NAS) equipment into MMS. and (2) To what extent is FAA maintaining and certifying the equipment in Alaska in accordance with the national standards. On September 12, 2001, GAO briefed the committee on the results of their work to date. This letter summarizes GAO's findings and reflects FAA's comments on a draft provided to it.